BDL dedicates Akash to Indian Army

Hyderabad-based Defence Public Sector undertaking Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) has dedicated the Akash Weapon System (AWS) to the Indian Army. BDL CMD V Udaya Bhaskar, handed over the ‘symbolic key’ of AWS to General Dalbir Singh, Chief of Army Staff, who, thereafter, handed over the same to Lt Gen VK Saxena, Director General, Army Air Defence, marking the induction of AWS into the Indian Army on Tuesday.

In his address Udaya said that the Army variant of Akash is designed for high mobility and can be quickly moved to engage any aerial threat. The Indian Army had placed orders worth Rs 14,180 crore on BDL, for the supply of two regiments of the Akash Weapon System.

Akash missile is a surface to air missile with the capability to engage aerial threats upto the maximum range of 25 kilometres and up to an altitude of 18 kilometres. BDL is the lead integrator of the weapon system. With Akash, India joins an elite club of only a few countries in the world, capable of producing Surface-to-Air Missiles.