NAG is a fire-and-forget
anti-tank missile with a short range. It is developed by Hyderabad-based
Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) under the Integrated Guided
Missile Development Programme of the DRDO. It is a third-generation anti-tank guided
missile (ATGM) with a 4 kilometre strike range. The Nag ATGM is equipped with
the highly potent HEAT (High Explosive Anti-Tank) warhead. Nag ATGM cleared its
final validation trials Air Force ranges in Rajasthan in July last year and was
expected to be ready for induction this year. In its trials, the missile proved
its capability against both moving and stationary targets, covering varying
ranges of 500 meters to 2,600 metres. Nag ATGM has already seen two decades of
development. The Indian Army has already placed an initial order for 443
missiles and 13 Namicas.
The NAMICA is a tracked
infantry combat vehicle (ICV) built for the Indian Army. It is equipped with a
thermal imager for target acquisition. NAMICA is a modified BMP-2 ICV produced
as "Sarath" in India. The carrier weighs 14.5 tonnes in full combat load
and is capable of moving 7 kilometres per hour in water. The NAMICA carrier was
put through transportation trials covering 155 km during summer trials. Namica
has already undergone floatation trial and it has proved its channel-crossing
ability and its capability to perform other manoeuvres. Each NAMICA can carry
12 missiles with eight of them in ready-to-fire mode. Other salient features
include advance sighting systems, high pointing accuracy and ergonomic
man-machine interface.
According to analysts, this last moment decision to redesign the NAMICA is a case of lack of foresight and planning by India. The NAMICA has been in existence for at least a decade. Although the Nag ATGM was not ready for this entire period, it reflects a lack of foresight to evaluate the NAMICA this late and go for redesigning at this stage. The evaluation of the NAMICA’s mobility and sensors could have been performed earlier, as the missile was being readied.
No comments:
Post a Comment