Watch: Akash Prime air defence system destroys two high-speed targets in Ladakh

The trial was carried out by the Army Air Defence along with senior officials of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, which has developed the system.

In a major milestone for India’s defence capabilities, the Indian Army successfully conducted trials of the indigenous Akash Prime air defence system on Wednesday at an altitude exceeding 15,000 feet in the Ladakh sector. The weapon system is customised to operate in an altitude of 4,500 metre.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh shared a video of the trial on X, noting that on July 16, the Akash Prime system effectively destroyed two high-speed aerial unmanned targets at high altitude. Akash Prime is an upgraded variant of the Akash Weapon System, specifically designed for military use.

India has achieved a significant milestone by successfully destroying 2 Aerial High Speed Unmanned targets at high altitude in Ladakh Sector on 16th July by Akash Prime, which is the upgraded variant of Akash Weapon System for the Indian Army. pic.twitter.com/DjJAc5uzkk

— रक्षा मंत्री कार्यालय/ RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) July 17, 2025

The trials were conducted by the Army Air Defence in collaboration with senior officials from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the system’s developer. Despite the challenging conditions of thin air at high altitudes, the surface-to-air missiles achieved two direct hits on fast-moving aerial targets.

Army Air Defence and DRDO, in conjunction with Defence PSUs such as Bharat Dynamics Limited & Bharat Electronics Limited, and other Industry Partners have successfully validated the indigenously designed and developed Akash Prime Weapon System. The trials were done as part of First of Production Model firing trial and will further enable timely induction and enhance the Air Defence potential in high-altitude frontiers of the country.

Akash Prime is expected to bolster the Indian Army’s air defence capabilities further and will be inducted into the third and fourth regiments of the Akash air defence units.

The system also performed very well during Operation Sindoor in thwarting aerial attacks by the Pakistan military using Chinese aircraft and Turkish drones. In comparison to the existing Akash System, Akash Prime is equipped with an indigenous active Radio Frequency (RF) seeker for improved accuracy.

Other improvements also ensure more reliable performance under low-temperature environments at higher altitudes. A modified ground system of the existing Akash weapon system has also been used.

The Akash Prime system has further enhanced the confidence of the users (Indian Army and Indian Air Force). The missile can be deployed at heights up to 4,500 metres and can take down targets at a distance of around 25-30 km.

*With Agency Inputs