India's defence export milestone: Akash air defence missile enters Central Asia

India's Akash air defence missile systemIndia's indigenous Akash air defence missile system has expanded its footprint into Central Asia, with Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh confirming that the system has been exported to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, in addition to Armenia.Speaking to ANI, Rajesh Kumar Singh said Armenia was the first foreign customer for Akash and had acquired multiple batteries. “The first customer was Armenia, which has taken multiple batteries. Thereafter, we've also exported it to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan,” he said.He described Akash as one of India's defence export success stories, pointing to the system's indigenous development and the growing maturity of the country's missile production capabilities.He further said Akash has emerged as an effective system for dealing with high velocity aerial targets, while production of the missile system has now stabilised. He said the Indian armed forces have placed additional orders for the system and indicated that further international demand could emerge from other countries.The exports mark a wider international push for India's indigenous air defence capabilities, with Armenia becoming the first overseas customer for Akash before the system expanded into Central Asia. The export of Akash to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan gives India a growing defence presence in the region.About Akash air defence systemThe Akash is an indigenous short range surface to air missile system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to protect vulnerable areas and vulnerable points from aerial attacks.DRDO says the weapon system can simultaneously engage multiple targets in either group or autonomous mode and incorporates electronic counter countermeasures (ECCM). The system is configured on mobile platforms and is operational with both the Indian Air Force and Indian Army.According to the ministry of defence, the system has an operational range of 4.5 km to 25 km and can engage aerial targets at altitudes between 100 metres and 20 km. The 5.87-metre-long missile weighs around 710 kg and uses command guidance for target engagement.The Akash programme has also evolved into newer variants, including Akash Prime and Akash-NG, featuring upgraded seekers, sensors and other improvements