India Conducts First-Ever Test Firing Of Man Portable Anti Tank Guided Missile

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has conducted the first-ever test firing of its man-portable shoulder-launched anti-tank guided missile  (MPATGM) system, Livefist has reported.

The test was at the KK ranges in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar.

The missile is derivative of the NAG weapon system. The other versions of the missile are the baseline vehicle-launched version and air-launched version HELINA. Earlier this year, the Ministry of Defence had cleared the purchase of 300 NAG missiles with 25 tracked launcher vehicles in a deal worth $70 million.

The program was sanctioned in 2015 and design configurations were doe the system were frozen by the end of this year. Eight tests of the rocket motor to monitor ballistic performance for shoulder launch were conducted in 2016.

The Indian Army needs over 40,000 missiles for its infantry and mechanised units. While it has rejected the US-built Javelin system, a formal decision on the procurement on the Israeli SPIKE system is awaited.

The system will have to undergo multiple development and user trials before it can meet the requirements of the Indian Army.