India demonstrated the capability of the Akash missile system to engage four aerial targets simultaneously at a range of 25 kilometres, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said on Sunday. It said India became the first country to have such a capability using a single firing unit.

“India became first country to demonstrate the capability of engagement of 04 aerial targets simultaneously at 25Km ranges by command guidance using single firing unit. The test was conducted by @IAF_MCC using Akash Weapon System,” the DRDO said in a post on ‘X’.

It is learnt that the capability of the home-grown missile system was displayed at the ‘Astrashakti’ military exercise on December 12.

The exercise was held by the Indian Air Force.

The Akash, with a range of up to 25 km, is a short-range surface to air missile primarily used for protecting vulnerable areas and points from air attacks.

The missile system is among the key platforms that India is exporting to friendly foreign countries. The other key platforms that India has been exporting are Dornier-228 aircraft, 155 mm Advanced Towed Artillery Guns (ATAGs), Brahmos missiles, mine protected vehicles, armoured vehicles, ammunition, thermal imagers and various components of avionics and small arms.