India successfully test-fired Friday a short-range surface-to-air anti-aircraft missile from a site in the eastern state of Orissa, defence sources said. The missile, named Akash which means Sky in Hindi, was fired from a mobile launcher at 12:30 pm (0700 GMT) at the Chandipur-on-Sea testing site, 200 kilometres (125 miles) north-east of Orissa state capital Bhubaneswar. "It successfully hit the target" attached to a pilotless target aircraft, one source said.
The 700-kilogram (318-pounds) Akash can carry a 60-kilogram (27.2 pounds) warhead and is designed to travel 27 kilometres (17 miles).
It can strike several targets simultaneously.
Akash is one of five missiles which are at different stages of development by India's state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation.