Third generation anti-tank Nag missile is expected to be inducted into the Army's arsenal next year with the successful completion of “final validation trials” in the Chanan Air Force ranges in Rajasthan.
The hit-to-kill missile proved its capability against both moving and stationary targets with precision. In all, four missiles — two each against a moving target and a derelict Vijayanta tank — were fired to cover varying ranges of 500 metres to 2,600 metres on Wednesday, a senior Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) official told TheHindu from Rajasthan.
The “fire-and-forget” missile was bang on target. Each time, two missiles were fired consecutively within a span of few minutes against a moving and another stationary target. Moving with a speed of 210 metres per second, Nag caused extensive damage to stationary Vijayanta tanks on both the occasions, the official said.
Channel-crossing ability
The “flotation trials” of the Nag Missile Carrier (Namica) were held on Thursday in the Indira Gandhi Canal, Nachna, during which the entire system manoeuvred through the canal and established its “channel-crossing ability.” Namica was produced by Bharat Electronics Ltd., while the reconfigured launcher platform was developed by Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai. Each NAMICA can carry eight missiles in ready-to-fire mode.
Deputy Chief of the Army Staff Lt. Gen. J. P. Singh and Director-General, Mechanised Forces, Lt. Gen. Dalip Bharadwaj witnessed the trials.
The official said the Army was satisfied with the performance of the missile. He expressed confidence that it would be inducted by early next year. It is likely to replace the imported second generation missiles. Bharat Dynamics Ltd has established facilities for producing 100 Nag missiles a year.
Last month, following a request from the Army, Nag, which has a maximum range of four km, destroyed both moving and stationary targets at a short range of 500 metres within a few seconds of its launch.
Equipped with a Imaging Infra-Red seeker — that cannot be jammed — the missile has top-attack capability and carries a highly potent tandem HEAT (High Explosive Anti-Tank) warhead that can defeat modern tanks and armoured vehicles. Another unique feature of the missile is that it has a low smoke propellant that would make it difficult for the adversary to identify the firing place.
