Team News Riveting
New Delhi, October 22
The final user trial of 3rd generation Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) NAG was carried out successfully today from Pokhran range.
The missile was integrated with the actual warhead and a tank target was kept at designated range. This was launched from NAG Missile Carrier NAMICA.
“The missile hit the target accurately defeating the armour,” a defence ministry communication said.
ATGM NAG has been developed by DRDO to engage highly fortified enemy tanks in day and night conditions. The missile has “Fire & Forget” “Top Attack” capabilities with passive homing guidance to defeat all MBTs equipped with composite and reactive armour.
The NAG missile carrier NAMICA is a BMP II based system with amphibious capability. With this final user trial, NAG will enter into the production phase. The missile will be produced by Defence PSU Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), whereas Ordnance Factory Medak will produce the NAMICA.
As its name suggests, the NAMICA (Nag Missile Carrier)) is a tracked, amphibious, armored ‘missile-carrier’ vehicle based on the BMP chassis. The new prototype was developed by the Ordnance Factory Medak in conjunction with DRDL, Hyderabad, and has an import substitution of Rs 260 crore in the first phase, and is expected to rise up to Rs.3000 crore.
According to defence experts, the Nag ATGM has a flight speed of 230 meters per second, is armed with an 8kg tandem shaped-charge warhead, has a rocket motor using nitramine-based smokeless extruded double base sustainer propellant, has a single-shot hit probability of 0.77, and a CEP of 0.9 meters, and has a 10-year maintenance-free shelf-life.
