Akash Series Surface to Air Missile System

The original akash is also ramjet based right?

According to your description. Akash NG seems to be more advanced than Akash P. Yet both missiles are in testing simultaneously, and Akash P has never been ordered. It looks like Akash NG will be ready as well by the time Akash P is ready. So Akash P may never be ordered.

Hence my question. Why is akash P being developed in the first place?
Akash Prime is in production.
 
The original akash is also ramjet based right?

According to your description. Akash NG seems to be more advanced than Akash P. Yet both missiles are in testing simultaneously, and Akash P has never been ordered. It looks like Akash NG will be ready as well by the time Akash P is ready. So Akash P may never be ordered.

Hence my question. Why is akash P being developed in the first place?
Who told you that Akash-Prime is not in production? In fact, we're upgrading all our legacy Akash missiles to Akash-P specs by adding a nose mounted RF seeker.

Akash-NG is our desi Barak-8. It's way more lighter, faster, more agile and with 2 times better range than legacy Akash. It's still under testing and a few years away from mass-production.
 
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Prime 2 regiments worth were ordered in 2023, the refurbed ones are probably the old missiles being morphed into akash-1s spec. Deliveries have been ongoing from the BDL akash stores. Both the services actually got a decent stock now that exceeds some of their other inventory items.

 
There is a chance that the Akash export order was for the Akash prime version. Lets wait and see.
Understandable as normal Akash doesn't have nose mounted RF seeker(like Prime) and Akash-NG is still some years away from domestic induction, so export naturally is even further away.
 
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Canister System for Akash-NG Missiles

 
With 15 squadrons of Akash for IAF and 4 regiments for the IAF, how many Akash-NG will be procured by the IAF?
 
Akash Prime is Akash with Ramjet motor and a RF seeker. Akash-NG is Akash with a newly deveoped dual-pulse solid rocket motor. The former weighs 700kgs+ while the latter weighs around 350kgs, so just half. That's basic difference.

The main difference is how they approaches the Target. Akash and Akash P directly moves towards the target and hit it straight away. Akash NG goes very high and approaches the target with mix of motor power and gravity. A bit similar Glide vehicle. Knowledgeable members may correct me if I am wrong.
 
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The main difference is how they approaches the Target. Akash and Akash P directly moves towards the target and hit it straight away. Akash NG goes very high and approaches the target with mix of motor power and gravity. A bit similar Glide vehicle. Knowledgeable members may correct me if I am wrong.
Absolutely correct👍. That's because Ramjet needs to feed air to sustain its power, while dual-pulse missiles like Akash-NG carry oxidiser within their propellant grain, hence can be lofted to much higher altitudes where air-density is really thin. So, that's why theoretically MRSAM/Akash-NG has twice the range of Akash/P while having half of its weight.
 
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With 15 squadrons of Akash for IAF and 4 regiments for the IAF, how many Akash-NG will be procured by the IAF?

Can't comment on the numbers. But I do expect the Army will buy more NG than the IAF.

Unlike the AF which uses the missile in a static point defence role, Akash's battlefield mobility (a.k.a weight) has always been a major issue for the Army. Though they eventually settled for a truck-based launcher, they'd have preferred a T-72 or BMP-based one. DRDO demo'd both during trials but the Army wasn't quite happy.

They've wanted a lighter, more mobile, self-contained system for ages and NG promises just that.
 
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