India on Saturday test-fired an advanced version of its surface-to-air missile Akash from a defence base in Orissa in east coast, Indian defence sources said.
According to Indo-Asian News Service, the indigenously built multi-target missile which can carry a 50 kg payload was test-fired from a mobile launcher shortly after 11 am from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur-On-Sea in the coastal district of Balasore.
The 650-kg missile has a range of 25 km and is one of the five missiles currently under various stages of development at the Defence Research and Development Organisation. The missile uses ramjet propulsion system and is powered by an air-breathing engine.
Its surveillance radar Rajendra, developed indigenously, can simultaneously keep track of 64 aircraft within a range of 40 to 60 km, the sources said.