New Delhi: In a significant boost to India’s indigenous defence capabilities, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted the flight test of the third-generation Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) with top-attack capability against a moving target.
The test was carried out on January 11, at the KK Ranges in Ahilya Nagar, Maharashtra, by DRDO’s Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad. The successful trial marks a major milestone towards the induction of the advanced weapon system into the Indian Army.
The indigenously developed MPATGM is a “fire-and-forget” missile system equipped with cutting-edge technologies, including an Imaging Infrared (IIR) homing seeker, all-electric control actuation system, fire control system, tandem warhead, propulsion system, and a high-performance sighting system. These critical subsystems have been developed by DRDO’s sister laboratories, including Research Centre Imarat (Hyderabad), Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (Chandigarh), High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (Pune), and Instruments Research & Development Establishment (Dehradun).
The Thermal Target System used during the trial to simulate an enemy tank was developed by Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur. According to DRDO, the IIR seeker enables effective day-and-night combat operations, while the tandem warhead is capable of defeating modern main battle tanks. The missile can be launched from both tripod-based systems and military vehicle-mounted launchers, enhancing its operational flexibility on the battlefield.
State-owned defence PSUs Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) are the Development-Cum-Production Partners (DcPP) for the MPATGM weapon system, underscoring the role of Indian industry in strengthening domestic defence manufacturing.
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, its industry partners, and associated stakeholders for the successful test, describing it as an important step towards achieving the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence.
Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO, Dr Samir V. Kamat, also lauded the team, stating that the trial against a moving target was successfully conducted and has paved the way for the missile system’s induction into the Indian Army.
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