DRDO's Akash-NG mobile missile launcher (pictured here) at DefExpo 2022 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat reported Janes.

India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has showcased the Akash-New Generation (Akash-NG) mobile missile launcher at Defexpo 2022 being held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, from 18 to 22 October.

The Akash-NG is a short-range mobile surface-to-air missile system (SRSAM) with a range of up to 30 km. The system is designed and developed by the DRDO and manufactured by Pune-based Electropneumatics and Hydraulics (India) Pvt Ltd (EHPL).

The system consists of six canister missiles that are mounted on a mobile platform for transportation.

According to EHPL, the system operates to an elevation of 20–70° and an azimuth of 360°, and it is designed for reloading two canister missile stacks within 10 minutes.

The reaction time of the system is 10 seconds from target acquisition by the command-and-control unit when a single missile is launched.

For three missiles, the system's firing rate is 20 seconds. The deployment period of the system is less than 20 minutes between the transportation mode and ready-to-fire state and vice versa, EHPL said.