Akash Missile System

The cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently approved the export of the Akash missile system. Also, a committee has been formed for fast approvals of export of the missile system.

Export of Akash Missile System

• The Government of India has a target of 5 billion USD of Akash missile export. According to the Defence Ministry, the Akash missiles have more than 96% of indigenous components.
• The export of Akash missiles will help the Government of India to achieve its target of 25 billion USD turnover in defence manufacturing by 2025.
• The Indian Armed Forces are to spend more than 130 billion USD of capital procurement in the next five years. This will also help boost defence manufacturing.

Akash Missile

• The Akash missile is a short-range surface-to-air indigenous missile with a range of 25 km.
• It has been developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program. The Integrated Guided Missile Development Program started in 1984.
• It is manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited.
• The range of this missile is 25 km, it has the capability to hit its target in any weather.
• This missile can go up to 18,000 meters in the air.
• It has the capability to destroy fighter aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.
• Each regiment of Akash missile has 6 launchers and each launcher has three Akash missiles.

Recent Defence Reforms

The Finance Minister in May 2020 announced several reforms in defence sector. These reforms aimed to boost the defence manufacturing capacity of the country and increase the exports and make the defence forces efficiently equipped. A separate budgetary outlay was made to procure Indian made military hardware. The Foreign Direct Investment limit in defence sector was increased from 49% to 74% under automatic route. India imposed a ban on import of 101 weapons and military platforms such as conventional submarines, light combat helicopters, cruise missiles, transport aircraft and sonar systems.

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2020