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BAir defence
series of surface-to-air anti-ballistic missile and anti-aircraft defense systems
At a glance
Measured figures
Length
Single source578 cm (228 in)[source]
Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Length
Single sourceConfiguration
| Specification | Akash (missile) | Sky Bow |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Mach 1.8 to 2.5[source] | Mach 4.5[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited Mach 7.0[source]Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited |
| Type | Mobile Surface-to-air missile system[source] | series of surface-to-air anti-ballistic missile and anti-aircraft defense systems[source] |
| Place of origin | India[source] | — |
| In service | 2009-present |
Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Length
Single source5.673 m[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited
5.498 m[source]Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited
Diameter
Single source30 cm (12 in) – 35 cm (14 in)[source]
Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Diameter
Single sourceSky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Diameter
Single source0.42 m[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited
0.4 m[source]Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited
Mass
Single source720 kg (1,590 lb)[source]
Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Mass
Single sourceSky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Mass
Single source1,135 kg[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited
870 kg[source]Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited
Operational; MK 1/1s
Single sourceOperational; NG
Single sourceOperational; Prime
Single source• MK 1/1s – 25 km (16 miles) • Prime – 30 km (19 miles) • NG – 50 km (31 miles)[source]
Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Range
Single sourceSky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Range
Single sourceBars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
The TK-2, TK-3 and TK-4 are in service with the Military of the Republic of China[source] |
| Used by | Indian Army Indian Air Force Armenian Armed Forces See Operators[source] | Military of the Republic of China[source] |
|---|
| Wars | 2025 India–Pakistan conflict[source] | — |
|---|
| Designer | Prahlada Rama Rao[source] | — |
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| Manufacturer | Bharat Dynamics Limited[source] | National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST)[source] |
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| Unit cost | ₹ 2.5 crore (US$250K)[source] | — |
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| Produced | 2009–present[source] | — |
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| No. built | 15,500 missiles till 2025[source] | — |
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| Variants | Akash 1S Akash Prime Akash-NG[source] | — |
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| Warhead | High-explosive , fragmentation[source] | — |
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| Detonation mechanism | Radio proximity fuze[source] | — |
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| Engine | Solid booster with air-augmented rocket and ramjet sustainer motor[source] | — |
|---|
| Propellant | Solid fuel[source] | — |
|---|
| Flight ceiling | 20 km (66,000 ft)[source] | — |
|---|
| Flight altitude | 18 km (59,000 ft)[source] | — |
|---|
| Guidance system | Mid-course: Command guidance with datalink Terminal: Active radar homing[source] | — |
|---|
| Launch platform | T-72 or BMP-2 or BEML – Tatra chassis (Army) Tata LPTA 3138 8×8 Trucks (Air Force)[source] | Underground silos and mobile launch vehicles[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited Towed quad launchers[source]Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited |
|---|
| Role | — | surface-to-air missile[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited surface-to-air missile[source]Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited |
|---|
| Propulsion | — | Single-stage dual-thrust solid-fuel rocket motor[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited Solid-fuel rocket motor[source]Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited |
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| Guidance | — | Inertial with mid-course guidance update from ground-based phased array radar, Active radar homing ( ARH ) for terminal guidance[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited |
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| Introduced | — | 1997[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited |
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| Country of origin | — | Taiwan[source]Inventory Origin column; table 5, row 4, cell 2; revision 1370505017; retrieved 2026-09-30 |
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