India’s new-generation surface-to-air missile Akash-NG has successfully completed user evaluation trials, meeting the Performance and Safety/Staff Qualitative Requirements (PSQR) laid down by the armed forces. During the trials the system intercepted aerial targets across a wide envelope from near-boundary, low-altitude scenarios to long-range, high-altitude engagements demonstrating the flexibility and robustness that the services required for operational deployment.
The user evaluation phase is the last major testing stage before formal induction. It validates the complete weapon system under realistic operational conditions, and confirms that the design meets the services’ PSQR. In this round of testing Akash-NG successfully tracked and intercepted multiple aerial targets at varying ranges and altitudes including engagements designed to prove performance at the near boundary of engagement (very low altitude and close-in threats) and long-range, high-altitude intercepts showing the missile’s ability to handle both theatre-level and tactical threats.
Why PSQR clearance matters
Development → Flight tests → User Trials → Phased Induction.
PSQRs are the set of operational, safety and performance benchmarks the user (Indian Army/IAF) sets before a weapon is accepted. Clearing PSQR validation and user trials means the services have confidence that the weapon works not only in instrumented test ranges, but in the messy, real-world conditions it will face in service from environmental stresses to integration with radars, command and control and logistics chains. Government documents and past trial reports show PSQR validation is a decisive step toward procurement and induction.
What is Akash-NG capable of?
Akash-NG (New Generation) is the evolutionary surface-to-air missile in India’s Akash family. Key publicly known features include:
- Medium-to-long engagement range (reported at roughly 70–80 km in public sources), giving the system the reach to cover large airspace sectors.
- Modern seeker and guidance (indigenous radio-frequency seekers, electro-optical tracking in test setups), and improvements over earlier Akash variants in mobility and multi-target engagement.
- Integrated weapon system: Akash-NG is fielded as a full system missiles, launcher, multifunction radar and command-and-control and its performance is validated through integrated trials rather than isolated missile firings.
Manufacturing and systems integration for Akash family missiles have been handled in collaboration with public sector firms such as Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), which produce missiles, subsystems and radars for the programme.
Clearing user trials is a major milestone, but the path to full operational deployment still involves formal acceptance trials, production scaling, logistics chains and crew training. Timelines for mass induction often depend on production capacity, final contractual clearances and service planning.
