Just three days ago, on December 23rd, something remarkable happened that most of us missed while celebrating the holidays. India successfully completed the final trials of the Akash-NG (Next-Generation) missile system—our homegrown defense shield that now stands ready to protect our skies like never before. This isn’t just another missile test that defense experts discuss in closed rooms. This is about you and me sleeping peacefully at night, knowing that our country has built an invisible dome of protection above our heads, designed entirely by our own scientists and engineers.
Let me paint you a picture of what Akash-NG really means. Imagine your home has a security guard who can spot ten different intruders approaching from different directions, all at once, and stop each one before they even reach your gate. That’s exactly what this Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) system does for India. It can track and destroy ten aerial threats simultaneously—whether they’re enemy fighter jets screaming through the sky at twice the speed of sound, sneaky drones flying low to avoid detection, or cruise missiles hugging the terrain to stay hidden. The Akash-NG doesn’t miss a beat.
The numbers tell an incredible story of progress. The original Akash SAM, which has been protecting us since 2014, could strike targets up to 25-30 kilometers away. The Akash-NG? It has nearly tripled that range to an impressive 70-80 kilometers. To put that in perspective, if this system is placed at the India Gate in Delhi, it can protect everything from Gurgaon to Noida and beyond. The missile itself is a technological marvel—5.8 meters long, about as tall as a two-story house, yet weighing just 350 kilograms, which is less than half the weight of the older version at 720 kilograms. It flies at supersonic speeds of Mach 2.5 to 3.5 (3,000 to 4,200 km/hr)—that’s faster than a bullet fired from most rifles—and can reach heights of over 20 kilometers, well into the stratosphere where even commercial airplanes don’t fly.
What makes Akash-NG truly special is something called an “active radio frequency seeker.” Think of it like giving the missile its own eyes and brain. Once it’s launched from the ground, it doesn’t need constant instructions from the ground radar. It finds its target on its own, chases it down, and destroys it with pinpoint accuracy using a 60-kilogram warhead that fragments into thousands of pieces on impact. This independence is crucial because in modern warfare, enemies try to jam communication signals. With Akash-NG, even if they block all communications, the missile still completes its mission. This is what makes SAM systems like Akash-NG so vital—they’re our first line of defense against anything that dares to enter our airspace uninvited.
India’s Akash family has grown impressively over the years. It started with the basic Akash SAM in 2014, then came Akash-1S with better seekers, followed by Akash Prime which was specially designed to work in freezing high-altitude conditions like Ladakh—where it was successfully tested at 15,000 feet in July 2025. Now, Akash-NG represents the cutting edge, the smartest and most capable member of the family. Each SAM system can be mounted on mobile platforms—either wheeled trucks or tracked vehicles like tank chassis—meaning they can be moved quickly to wherever danger threatens. This mobility is life-saving because in real conflict, stationary targets get destroyed quickly.
The launcher itself is canisterized, meaning the missiles sit protected inside sealed containers until needed. One launcher carries multiple missiles, and a complete SAM battery includes four such launchers controlled by the Rajendra radar—a sophisticated 3D system that can track up to 200 targets at once and guide our missiles to intercept them. The entire setup is mobile, can be transported by road, rail, or even air, and can be deployed rapidly wherever our borders are threatened. Both the Indian Air Force and Indian Army use Akash SAM systems, with 15 squadrons in the Air Force and four regiments in the Army already operational.
But here’s what should make every young Indian truly proud—Akash-NG is 96% indigenous. From the radar to the seeker, from the rocket motor to the command systems, nearly everything is designed and built in India by over 250 Indian companies. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) developed it, and Bharat Dynamics Limited manufactures it. Each missile costs less than two crore rupees, while similar Western SAM systems cost five to six crore. We’re not just building world-class defense systems; we’re doing it at a fraction of the cost.
The recent trials weren’t just routine checkbox exercises. The military actually operated the systems, firing at real targets at various altitudes and ranges—low altitude attacks, long-range interceptions, high-altitude threats—and the Akash-NG passed every test. This is the difference between a laboratory success and battlefield readiness. Our soldiers now trust this SAM system with their lives and our nation’s security.
Countries are noticing. Armenia already bought Akash SAM systems for 6,000 crore rupees in 2022. Brazil, Vietnam, and the Philippines have shown interest. When other nations want to buy our weapons, it’s not just business—it’s validation that we’ve built something world-class. The world is realizing that India doesn’t just consume defense technology anymore; we create it, and we create it brilliantly.
As young Indians preparing to shape this nation’s future, understand this: Akash-NG is more than metal and electronics. It’s proof that Indian minds can match or exceed anything the world builds. It’s evidence that Atmanirbhar Bharat isn’t just a slogan—it’s our reality. Every time an Akash SAM stands guard over our borders, it whispers a promise: your India is safe, your dreams are protected, and your future is secure. That invisible shield above us? We built it ourselves, and we built it better than most.
Jai Hind!
(Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany.)
