Indian Armed Forces Set To Get Tank-Buster Missiles As HELINA and Dhruvastra Clear Trials

India's indigenous helicopter-launched Nag (HELINA) anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) has successfully completed all trials, reported Aajtak.

HELINA's air force version Dhruvastra, has also passed all its trials.

Both HELINA and Dhruvastra missiles are guided by an advanced imaging infra-red seeker operating in both the 'lock-on before launch' and 'lock-on-after-launch' mode, making it one of the world's most advanced anti-tank weapons.

They are capable of defeating armored targets, including tanks, at ranges between 7-8 kilometre.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation conducted successful flight tests at high-altitude ranges earlier in 2022, as part of user validation trials.

The fight test of both the missiles were conducted from the advanced light helicopter, from a high altitude range in eastern Ladakh, where the missile successfully demonstrated its capability to destroy simulated tank targets.

Following the trials and validation from the Indian Army and Indian Air Force, the missile is set to be inducted into both.

The HELINA and Dhruvastra missile are helicopter-launched variants of Nag missile, which is a fire-and-forget, third-generation ATGM, with an operational range of up to 4 km and is equipped with a tandem high-explosive anti-tank warhead.

With a length of 1.834 m, a diameter of 0.158 m, and a weight of 44 kg, the Nag ATGM can destroy all armored targets including tanks.

Now that all required flight and user trials have been successfully completed, HELINA and Dhruvastra are ready for induction into the Indian Army, and Air Force.

The missile's capabilities mark a significant milestone for India's indigenous defence capabilities and represent a major advancement in its anti-tank weaponry.