India on Thursday evening successfully test-fired the medium-range surface-to-air missile Akash from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, 15km from Balasore, Orissa.

The indigenously built multi-target missile has a range of 25km and is one of the five missiles under various stages of development by the Defence Research and Development Organisation.

The 650kg missile can carry a 50kg payload and uses the integrated two-stage Ramjet propulsion technology.

Akash, which has undergone several flight tests, is close to user's trial, sources said.