BALASORE: After successful trials of three nuke-capable missiles from the integrated test range (ITR) off the Orissa coast, the winter trials of Nag missile would be conducted by the Indian Army with logistic support from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The missile is considered the world’s deadliest anti-tank guided missile (ATGM).
Director of Directorate of Public Interface, DRDO, Ravi Kumar Gupta told this paper that preparations for the trials had been completed and the missile would be tested from Jaisalmer’s Pokhran range very soon.
Defence sources said these would be the final trials to decide the induction of the missiles. The Army urgently needs more advanced Nag to improve its lethal probability as the missile using a high explosive warhead has the potential to penetrate the armour in modern tanks.
Nag was last test-fired as part of user validation trials on July 16, 2010. The Army, however, wanted some modifications in its carrier Namica forcing the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) to go in for further improvements. Each Namica can carry eight missiles in ready-to-fire mode. “This time, there will be a comprehensive evaluation of the Namica,” said a scientist.
Nag is a third-generation ‘fire-and-forget’ missile with a strike range of 4 km. Once fired, its seeker automatically guides the missile to even a fast-moving tank. It can be mounted on an infantry combat vehicle and uses Imaging Infra-Red (IIR) guidance having both day and night capability.
The missile has a flight speed of 230 metres per second and is armed with an 8 kg tandem-shaped charge warhead. It has a rocket motor using nitramine-based smokeless extruded double base sustainer propellant and a single-shot hit probability of 0.77 and a CEP of 0.9 metres.
Under development for over two decades, Nag missile has both Army and Air Force versions. The Nag will replace the existing Russian Konkours and European missile Milan.
With the Pakistani tank forces now equipped with Ukrainian T-80 and Chinese T-85 tanks, the Indian Army requires a potent ATGM to handle. And they are hopeful that the Nag will definitely meet their needs. After the winter trials, the final round of field trials will be conducted from the same test range during summer 2012.