In late June, India’s armed forces deployed the Akash quick-reaction surface-to-air missile (SAM) system to eastern Ladakh in Kashmir amid tensions with China. The system was deployed “to prevent any misadventure by the Chinese Air Force fighter jets or the People’s Liberation Army choppers there,” Indian government officials told local media. The Akash is a medium-range, road-mobile SAM system with a range of around 30 km.