India test-fires 2 anti-aircraft missiles

India test-fired two indigenously developed surface-to-air anti-aircraft missiles "Akash" from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in the country's eastern state of Odisha. "The flight trial of two Akash missiles were conducted in quick succession from road mobile launchers at launch pad-3 in the ITR," an official statement of the Defence Research and Development said on Monday. It added "during the trial, the missiles were aimed at intercepting a floating object supported by a pilotless target aircraft flown from launch complex-II at a definite altitude over the sea." "It was a routine user trial conducted by the Indian defence forces after the completion of developmental test and induction into the defence armoury. Soon after the launch, assessment of the test was done with the help of all data retrived from telemetry stations and radars," it further said. The development of Akash missile took place during 1990s under the country's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). After many trials, it was inducted into the armed forces. The anti-aircraft missile is already part of the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force.