The Indian Ministry of Defence has awarded Bharat Dynamics Limited an 81.6 billion rupees ($1 billion) contract to produce and deliver an “improved” Akash surface-to-air system.
The domestically-built short-range system will be fielded by the Army Air Defence’s third and fourth regiments stationed along the northern borders.
The contract is expected to be completed in three years, according to The Hindu.
Eighty-Two Percent Indigenous Content
The mobile system comprises missiles, upgraded launchers, ground support equipment, vehicles, and infrastructure.
It features several upgrades over the previous versions, including “seeker technology, reduced footprint, 360-degree engagement capability, and improved environmental parameters,” the defense ministry wrote in a statement.
The system comprises 82 percent indigenous content, which will be increased to 93 percent by 2026-2027.
Akash
The Defence Research and Development-developed system can neutralize aerial threats such as aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, and air-to-surface missiles at a range of 30 kilometers (19 miles) and an altitude of 18 kilometers (11 miles).
Each Akash battery comprises a Rajendra 3D passive electronically scanned array radar and four launchers with three missiles each.
The system can track up to 64 targets simultaneously and attack 12.
Weapon Locating Radar
The Ministry of Defence awarded the same company a 9.9 billion rupee ($121 million) contract to procure a Swathi weapon locating radar for the plains.
The indigenous radar system locates weapons such as guns, mortars, and rockets, transmitting the data to counter-strike systems for a retaliatory strike.
The Indian Army procured six Swathi Mark II radars for the mountainous territory in June 2022. Thirty Swathi radars have already been deployed along the border.