A series of trials of anti-tank Nag missile, with focus
on the performance of a modified Namica (Nag Missile Carrier) in harsh
desert conditions, will be conducted in the Mahajan Field Firing Range
in Rajasthan between July 24 and August 10.
The
induction of the third generation missile that has a ‘top attack and
fire-and-forget’ capability and four-km range was delayed, with the Army
seeking several changes in the specially-designed Namica, which can
hold 12 missiles, with eight of them in ready-to-fire mode.
As
many as eight missiles would be fired during the trials from two
reconfigured Namica vehicles, both developed by Larsen & Toubro and
Bharat Electronics Limited, according to DRDO sources involved in the
project.
The weight of a reconfigured Namica has been
reduced from 16.5 tonnes to 15 tonnes to improve its mobility and
amphibious performance. Another important feature is its buoyancy, which
is now equivalent to a BMP-2, an infantry fighting vehicle.
This
time around, high-end, stabilised Electro-Optical Systems (EOS) have
replaced the fixed ones. While one of them is meant for target
acquisition by the gunner, the other system will function dedicatedly to
provide an independent “panoramic sight” for the surveillance of the
crew commander. Earlier, there was only a single fixed sight for the
gunner.
To enable the user to adopt the
“hunter-killer approach,” an additional sight has been provided for the
crew commander to guide the gunner in firing in quick succession. “When
the gunner is engaged in firing at the first target, the commander will
locate the second target and give a cue to the gunner. The commander is
the hunter and the gunner is the killer,” the sources said.
The
mobility trials for Namica would be conducted for a range of 1,000 km
in three or four stages. For the first time, Nag would be fired with a
higher resolution seeker to demonstrate the lock-on-before-launch
capability for a range exceeding four km.
Asian Defence News
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