sferrin, as per the head of DRDO, Dr. Saraswat, the Pradyumna BMD missile has slightly better performance than the Patriot PAC-3 :

The AAD-02 was slightly better than the PAC-3 (Patriot Advanced Capability) of the U.S. in terms of range and altitude. The direct hit compared very well with the PAC-3 in terms of accuracy.

Avinash Chander, Director, Advanced Systems’ Laboratory (ASL), Hyderabad, said, “I don’t think any country [other than India] was able to achieve a direct-hit in the first attempt” in endo-atmosphere.

Reference :-

http://www.hindu.com/2007/12/07/stories/2007120761241800.htm

Having spent all that money to deploy this system India would still not be the better for it as I am sure China has enough missiles in its arsenals NOW to saturate any BMD India might put up in the future to come.

Hmm yup sorry Nike had a longer range than this.

Nuclear-Capable Akash Missile Test-Fired

(Source ddi Indian Government news; issued Dec. 14, 2007)

On the heels of conducting trials of interceptor missiles, India on Thursday revived its surface-to-air nuclear-capable Akash missile programme by carrying out its fresh test firing near Balasore.

The multi-target missile with a strike range of 25 kms and capable of carrying a nuclear warhead of 50kg was test fired from a mobile launcher, defence sources said.

The missile targeted a flying object using Pilotless Target Aircraft (PTA) “Lakshya” as support system, they said, adding the PTA was flown at 11.36 hrs and “Akash” missile test-fired at around 11.55 am from the ITR.

For the next ten days, a series of test firings of the missile would be carried out to pave the way for its induction into the Indian Air Force.

IAF had not been satisfied by performance of the missile in earlier test firings and this had led to Government clearing a deal to procure ground-to-air missiles from Israel.

The trial was carried out to fine-tune the sophisticated missile, though Akash has undergone several tests earlier as part of the country’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGPMD), sources said.

The Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) at Hyderabad, the nodal agency which designed the missile, has also approved its “flight consistency”, they said.

The 5.6-metre-long missile weighing about 700 kg uses an integral “ramjet” rocket propulsion system and has a low reaction time.

The Akash missile operates in conjunction with the indigenously built “Rajendra” surveillance and the engagement radar being developed by Hyderabad-based Electronic Research and Development Establishment (ERDE), sources said.

The radar is capable of tracking 64 targets and guide up to 12 missiles simultaneously.

Comparable to the US-made “Patriot”, the Akash missile has better features and it is completely mobile with capability to be launched from a battle tank too, they said.

During its entire flight, the thrust is maintained and the propulsion works till the missile hits the target.

Akash was initially designed as an anti-aircraft missile, but scientists from Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) were presently working to re-configure it as an “anti-missile” missile, sources said.

-ends-

Doe the Phoenix missiles in Irans stock still work? Have they managed to reverse engineer those too?

USAF should scrap overpriced junk like C-5 and C-17 and buy An-124 and IL-76 MF. 😀

you could add to that the A400M and C 130J

India may need to be a part of the project just to make sure it is not sold to the chinese.. pure and simple.

but is their any real info on the PAK FA

this is just the silliest thing i have heard.. they are just making matters worst and its a classic case of trying to “fix wot aint broke”.

Composite shells = more trouble and inspections etc etc etc to make sure the shell wont break up at the wrong time.