Indian NAG missile is a deadly anti-tank missile

Indian NAG missile is a deadly anti-tank missile

Made-in-India

DRDO's NAG missile is now ready for induction into the Indian Army. Read to know about the madein-India anti-tank missile. Made-in-India Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) NAG was successfully flight-tested at Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) test facility on February 28. NAG passed the flight and target destruction tests with precision in desert conditions against two tank targets at different ranges and timings. Dr G Satheesh Reddy, Director General (Missiles and Strategic Systems), said that with the successful test flights, the technologies pertaining to ATGM to engage targets in different conditions have been established.

                                      

With this, the developmental trial of the NAG ATGM missile is complete and it is now ready for induction in the Indian Army. Dr S Christopher, DRDO Chairman and Department of Defence R&D Secretary, congratulated the NAG team for the achievement. With its induction in the Indian Army, the NAG is said to replace the existing Russian Konkours and European missile Milan, both of which are currently manufactured under license by Bharat Dynamics Limited.

In November 2017, Indian government canceled $500 million deal with Israeli defense contractor Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd for 321 Spike ATGM system missiles as it would discourage development of DRDO's indigenous NAG anti-tank missile programme. 8 facts about made-in-India anti-tank guided missile NAG.

1. NAG (meaning Cobra) is developed by DRDO under Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) and is manufactured exclusively by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL)

 2. NAG comes in five variants- HeliNa (Helicopter-launched Nag), Land version (with mast-mounted missile launcher), Man Portable NAG, Air-launched version for tactical interdiction aircraft (upgraded version of Jaguar IS) and NAMICA (NAg MIssile Carrier), a tank destroyer variant built for the army. NAMICA is a modified BMP-2 IFV produced "Sarath" in India.

 3. Design: standard NAG missile comes with four movable flaps having a wingspan of 0.4m each. It measures 1.85m in length, 0.20m in diameter, and weighs 43kg. But, it also comes in smaller 'Man Portable' variant, which comes 15kg load capacity.

4. NAG has an operational range of 500meters to 4 km on land and when it is air-launched, it can operate anywhere between 7-10km

5. NAG has a top speed of 230meter/second ( or 828 km/hour)

6. NAG comes with Active Imaging infra-red (IIR) seeker and millimetric wave (mmW) active radar homing seeker, but the latter version is still under development

7. NAG is a Lock-on-before-Launch - Top attack mode missile. It is also known as a fire-and-forget missile, as it is locked to the particular target and only then, it is released to attack.

 8. NAG is said to have a Single Shot of Probability score of 0.9 [Note: If a weapon is expected to hit a target nine times out of ten with a representative set of ten engagements, one could say that this weapon has a "Phit" score of 0.9]

NAG MISSILE SPECIFICATION

S.NO	TYPE	PARAMETER
1	Class	Anti-tank guided missile
2	Place of origin	India
3	Manufacturer	Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL)
4	Used by	India army
5	Mass	42kg
6	Length	1.9m
7	Diameter	190mm
8	Warhead	8 kg tandem warhead
9	Engine	Tandem solid Propulsion(Nitramine based smokeless extruded double base sustainer propellant)
10	Wingspan	400 mm[citation needed]
11	Operational Range	500m to 4km (Land version) 7-10km (Air-launched)
12	Guidance system	Active Imaging infra-red (IIR) seeker, millimetric wave (mmW) active radar homing seeker (under development)
13	Launch platform	Nag Missile Carrier (NAMICA) HAL Rudra Helicopter (Testing) HAL Light Combat

India’s New Anti-Tank Guided Missile Destroys 2 Tanks in Test

India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) successfully tested its indigenously designed and developed third-generation anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) Nag in desert conditions against two tank targets on February 28, according to an Indian Ministry of Defense (MoD) press release. The tests “have once again proved its capability,” the statement reads. “With this, the developmental trials of the missile have been completed and it is now ready for induction.” The Indian Army has so far not publicly commented on the successful Nag ATGM test. Notably, DRDO had announced the completion of development trials already in September 2017. Indian Army officials have repeatedly stated that they expect development trials to be concluded by the end of 2018.  The Army has delayed the induction of the Nag, a fire-and-forget ATGM with an estimated range of 4 kilometers, due to numerous technical shortcomings including inadequate thermal sensors. The missile’s high price tag has also been a point of controversy.

The Nag ATGM, manufactured by India’s sole missile producer, state-owned Bharat Dynamics Limited, until the recent test had only been fired from an armored combat vehicle specifically designed for that purpose. As I reported in 2017.

DRDO has been working on the Nag ATGM for over a decade. The Indian Army intends to procure up to 8,000 Nags, although it most likely will place an initial order for only 500 ATGM systems. As I reported in January, the Indian Army has a requirement for around 68,000 anti-ATGMs of various types and over 850 launchers.

“The service is reportedly pushing for a fast-track procurement of 2,500 third-generation shoulder-fired ATGMs and 96 launchers through a government-to-government contract,” I noted. “Weapon systems under consideration include the Israeli Spike ATGM and the FGM-148 Javelin ATGM.” In December 2017, the Indian government scrapped a $500 million deal with Israeli defense contractor Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. for 321 Spike ATGM systems and 8,356 missiles in favor of an indigenous ATGM system currently under development by DRDO. The cancellation of the deal was allegedly the result of intense lobbying by DRDO, which has vowed to expedite delivery of the Nag ATGM system. The Indian Army originally selected the Spike ATGM over the U.S.-made FGM-148 Javelin ATGM system in October 2014, expecting the Nag ATGM not to be ready for operational deployment for some time.

India's Homegrown Anti-Tank Guided Missile Clears Final Trial

New Delhi (Sputnik) — India's Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has announced that the homegrown Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) NAG is ready for induction into the armed forces with the successful completion of its developmental trial on Wednesday evening. In the final, trial which was conducted in Pokhran desert, the third generation missile destroyed two targets at different ranges and timings. "With the successful test flights, the technologies pertaining to ATGM to engage targets in different conditions have been established," Dr. G Satheesh Reddy, Director General (Missiles and Strategic Systems), DRDO, said after the Wednesday test trial. In September 2017, when the DRDO had announced the near completion of the development trials, the Indian Army reportedly voiced concern over certain technical shortcomings like inadequate thermal sensors. Nevertheless, the defense ministry has backed the DRDO's claim that the system is now induction-ready.

The missile is equipped with an indigenous high-resolution imaging infrared seeker, capable of operating during day and night, which provides passive homing guidance for engaging static/moving tank targets. The ATGM has a flight speed of 230 meters per second and is armed with an 8kg tandem shaped-charge warhead. It has a rocket motor using a 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. The DRDO has been working on the NAG (Hindi for "Cobra") since 2009, spending approximately $47 million on its development. The 14.8 metric ton, NAG is a little bit heavier than the current crop of ATGMs of the Indian Army but it can make up for this shortcoming with its carrier- the NAMICA. Nag is heavier but since it's carrier mounted the extra weight is considered acceptable. The big advantage to the Army would accrue from its easy & cheaper upgradibility. NAMICA is an improved version of the Soviet-designed BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle that India uses extensively. NAMICA is equipped with nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) protection, independent gunner and commander sights, silent watch capability, and a fire suppression system for crew safety and comfort. The NBC system provides dry, temperature-controlled filter air to the crew. The NAMICA has a retractable armored launcher that can carry 12 Nag ATGMs, with six of them in ready-to-fire mode at a distance of 4km.

India successfully tests 3rd-gen anti-tank missile NAG missile in desert conditions

The Anti Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) NAG, developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), were successfully flight tested on Wednesday. The ATGM NAG was tested at Pokhran's field firing range in Jaisalmer district against two tank targets at different ranges and timings. The ATGM NAG has been developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the flight tests have once again proved its capability. With this, the developmental trials of the missile have been completed and it is now ready for induction. The Fire and Forget 3rd generation ATGM NAG is incorporated with many advanced technologies including the Imaging infrared (IIR) Seeker with integrated avionics, the capability which is possessed by few nations in the world. Earlier, Imaging Infra Red Seekers were not able to differentiate between the target and surroundings in hot desert temperatures. Now, highly sensitive detectors have been put in the missile for sensing heat or infra red signals.

India completes trials of ant-tank guided missile `Nag' missile

India on Wednesday successfully test-fired anti-tank guided missile `Nag' in desert conditions. The test, conducted in the desert area in Pokharan against two different targets, proved Nag's capabilities in desert conditions. Defence Research and Development Organisation said the tests were conducted in different conditions against two tank targets at different ranges and timings. With this, the developmental trials of the missile have been completed and it is now ready for induction into the armed forces. The Nag is a third-generation ''fire-and-forget'' missile.

Once fired, its infrared seekers automatically guides the missile to the target. Initially, the Army is likely to place an order for 443 Nag ATGMs and 13 NAMICA missile launch vehicles. In its perspective plan, the Army has projected the need for 7,000 Nag missiles and around 200 NAMICAs. The DRDO is currently developing two new variants of the missile for the Indian Air Force: the 8 kmrange 'Helina' to arm Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter and a 10 km-range variant capable of being launched from aircraft. A man-portable version of the missile, which would weigh less than 14 kg, is also being developed.