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Cover Story |
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No Good |
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Nag ATGM should be abandoned |
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Launched as part of the Integrated Guided Missiles Development Programme
(IGMDP) in 1983, the anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) Nag is a complex system
with a great degree of technology over-reach. According to the DRDO, the Nag,
which is a third generation ATGM has ‘fire and forget’ and ‘top attack’ capabilities.
Its Imaging Infra Red (IIR) homing guidance system has Lock-On-Before-Launch
(LOBL) capability for day and night operations and all weather capabilities. The
missile claims to have high impact accuracy and Single Shot Kill Probability
(SSKP) — which is more than 90 per cent against modern and futuristic armour
— in top attack mode. In addition, high energy, smokeless Nitramine based
propellant, light weight, high strength composite airframe with foldable wings,
onboard real time processor with fast and efficient algorithms, compact sensor
package and electric actuation system, digital autopilot and high immunity to
counter measures make this missile the first of its kind in the world.
Furthermore, the missile with a range of four km has been configured in two
modes, the land version and the helicopter version. The DRDO claims that Nag
has been successfully tested from tracked vehicle Missile Carrier (MICA), which
is a BMP-II chassis. The MICA carries four missiles in ready-to-fire state on the
turret and additional missiles can be re-loaded without exposing the crew to the
battlefield environment. The other Nag version is on the indigenous Advanced
Light Helicopter (ALH), or Light Attack Helicopter. This has twin Nag launchers
on both sides, and a few modifications for helping the pilot. These include a nose
mounted stabilised thermal sight, a multi-functional display monitors for pilot and
co-pilot, weapon status display panel, twin arm pads for co-pilot and an ejector
release mechanism. And most importantly, a Mili Metric Wave (MMW) active radar
seeker was to provide an alternate to the IIR seeker. |
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