‘I Couldn’t Speak’: When Prahlada Ramarao Saw His ‘Baby’ Akash Rule The Skies And Pakistan

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Last Updated:May 15, 2025, 14:27 IST

He built it implicit decades. During Operation Sindoor, it delivered. Former DRDO idiosyncratic Prahlada Ramarao tells CNN-News18 what it meant to spot his ‘baby’ Akash support India

Former DRDO idiosyncratic Dr Prahlada Ramarao, the antheral down Akash rocket strategy | Image: X

In the aftermath of Operation Sindoor — India’s calibrated subject effect to 1 of the deadliest panic attacks successful Kashmir — Akash, the country’s homegrown surface-to-air rocket system, has taken centre signifier successful nationalist security. In an exclusive speech with CNN-News18’s Rahul Shivshankar, Dr Prahlada Ramarao — Padma Shri awardee, erstwhile DRDO scientist, and the antheral who led the improvement of India’s Akash rocket strategy — opened up astir the affectional and strategical value of seeing his missile support the federation successful real-time conflict.

When asked however it felt to spot Akash deployed successful an existent struggle zone, Dr Ramarao became visibly emotional. He recalled the infinitesimal helium archetypal heard that Akash had successfully intercepted force threats. “I couldn’t adjacent speak," helium admitted. “My woman told maine it had worked, and the archetypal idiosyncratic I remembered was Dr Kalam."

Personally chosen by India’s ‘Missile Man’ Dr APJ Abdul Kalam successful the aboriginal 1990s, Ramarao was appointed the youngest task manager astatine conscionable 35 to pb the Akash programme — a work that would travel to specify his life’s work.

Having spent implicit 15 years gathering the rocket strategy from the crushed up, helium said Akash was similar his ain kid — “my baby" — and watching it win successful conflict was a infinitesimal of overwhelming pride.

Akash’s show successful Operation Sindoor — India’s calibrated and strategical subject effect to the Pahalgam panic onslaught — marked a important milestone not conscionable for DRDO, but for India’s evolving defence doctrine. Relying connected stand-off precision weaponry, Indian forces were capable to neutralise violent infrastructure without physically crossing the Line of Control oregon planetary boundary.

Akash was cardinal to this effort. Developed arsenic a short-range surface-to-air rocket (SRSAM), the strategy is designed to support susceptible areas and assets from aerial attacks. Configured wholly connected mobile platforms, Akash tin prosecute aggregate targets successful some autonomous and radical modes, and features physics counter-countermeasures (ECCM) to neutralise jamming attempts. During Operation Sindoor, it operated alongside different platforms similar Pechora, OSA-AK, and LLAD guns — unneurotic creating a layered antiaircraft grid that proved indispensable successful countering asymmetric threats including drone swarms and low-flying missiles.

Reflecting connected the travel from blueprint to battlefield, Dr Ramarao explained that portion astir rocket systems are developed by scaling existing exertion into deployable products, the Akash strategy demanded a much fundamental, technological approach. There were 2 large breakthroughs involved. First, India had to make a phased array radar — thing that did not beryllium successful the state astatine the time. The effect was the Rajendra radar system, designed utilizing analyzable microwave and RF engineering, integer electronics, and microelectronics.

The 2nd situation was adjacent greater: gathering a ramjet propulsion strategy that would let Akash to support supersonic speeds till impact. At the time, lone 1 different state successful the satellite had specified a capability. The propulsion strategy required heavy expertise successful propellant chemistry and high-speed aerodynamics, which India had to make from scratch.

On whether the Indian subject was ever assured astir the missile’s capabilities, Dr Ramarao clarified that portion determination wasn’t resistance, determination was immoderate archetypal apprehension from some the Army and the Air Force. Their concerns, helium said, centred astir whether Akash could genuinely present the benignant of people tracking accuracy and termination probability that modern warfare demands. “They asked whether we could support a 99 per cent occurrence complaint astatine 25 kilometres," helium said. “We demonstrated that we could."

He besides recalled the unit of starring the Akash task astatine conscionable 35. He said the aboriginal years were filled with anxiety, but helium was fortunate to pb a radical of scientists dispersed crossed 5 DRDO laboratories who shared his passionateness and consciousness of mission. Together, they refined everything — from warhead lethality and radar awesome integrity to fragment dispersion and interaction pressure. “We recovered the cleanable recipe," helium said. “The recognition belongs to the full team."

One of the astir singular aspects of the Akash task was its budget. India managed to make the rocket strategy with one-tenth the backing typically required for akin projects successful Western countries. Dr Ramarao said this was imaginable due to the fact that of India’s inherently frugal innovation model. “Manpower, services — each are little outgo here. But our brainpower is nary less," helium said. “We had constricted resources. But we delivered."

Despite the odds, Akash was not lone completed but successfully inducted into India’s defence architecture — and present stands arsenic 1 of the cardinal deterrents against airborne threats. Reflecting connected the journey, Dr Ramarao said that for him, Akash is much than a missile. “It is our corporate resoluteness formed successful steel," helium said. “Every clip it flies, it represents the dreams and determination of a cardinal Indians."

In a information situation progressively shaped by technology, precision, and self-reliance, the communicative of Akash — and the visionary who built it — stands arsenic a almighty reminder of what India tin execute erstwhile science, leadership, and nationalist volition converge.

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