- Joined
- Jun 5, 2017
- Messages
- 16,330
- Likes
- 70,174
Don't know whether to laugh or cry on this oneDon't know why but I first read it as Army to reject Fully Indian Man-Portable Anti Tank Missile Shortly.
Don't know whether to laugh or cry on this oneDon't know why but I first read it as Army to reject Fully Indian Man-Portable Anti Tank Missile Shortly.
Promahon Command Launch Unit from Tonbo Imaging.Army To Test Fully Indian Man-Portable Anti Tank Missile Shortly
The Indian Army is all set to get its first ever of an anti-tank weapon fully developed and built in India. After decades using weaponry from Russia and France, and with deals with the United States and Israel either collapsing or adrift, in a few months, an Indian infantry team will be operating a comparable Indian-made weapon for the first time ever.
Breaking cover this September with a series of debut test firings, India’s fully indigenous man portable anti-tank guided missile (MPATGM) will be picked up by the Indian Army. A test team will join the development effort for a series of user-assisted flight trials in the first quarter of 2019. These trials will be crucial to fine-tuning the missile system to the Army’s specifications. In the weeks since the system first emerged in public, more is now known about it.
For instance, we now know the baseline MPATGM system sports a range of 2.5 km, not 4 km as earlier speculated. In signature style, the missile’s developer — a cluster of labs under India’s DRDO — has officially declared this month in internal literature that the MPATGM ‘will be comparable to the best ATGM systems in the world, viz., Javelin by US and Spike-MR by Israel.’
The mention of those two systems is no coincidence — India has in the past rejected the Javelin system and continues to dither over a purchase of the Israeli Spike. Since the MPATGM program was sanctioned in January 2015, the DRDO has consistently offered that the system is worth waiting for. The program’s scope includes design and development of a third generation ATGM with a launch tube (LT) and launcher and command launch unit (CLU), demonstration of the system performance through ground testing and flight testing.
A group of laboratories is currently working to complete initial development flight trials before the Indian Army comes on board. The Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) in Hyderabad oversees the project, and handles missile system studies, control and guidance design and the aerodynamic and structural design and testing. The DRDL receives distributed technological inputs from a list of laboratories include the RCI (Hardwarein-Loop testing and evaluation of control algorithm incorporating sensor package, control actuation system and integrated electronics hardware), HEMRL (propellant for launch motor and flight motor), TBRL (tandem warhead), ARDE and IRDE (target acquisition system).
As with most indigenous weapons programs, the MPATGM is working out technological hurdles. For instance, the DRDO reveals, “The third-generation ATGM having fire and forget capability works on the homing signal provided by a miniature Image Infrared Seeker (IIR) housed in its front end for guidance. Configuring the optical module to focus the image on the detector and realization of the signal processing electronics to achieve the 2.5 km range with the available space within a missile of 120 mm diameter was really a challenging task.”
On the twin September tests, the DRDO says, “Two pre-programmed control missions have been executed to prove vehicle controllability as well as manoeuvrability with realistic guidance command. The missile was successfully tested at KK Ranges, Ahmednagar for maximum range trajectory in top attack mode on 15 September 2018 and for minimum range trajectory in top attack mode on 16 September 2018. The successful missions proved the controllability of the missile aeroconfiguration along with major subsystems, viz., propulsion, control system and onboard integrated electronics hardware.”
A set of guidance missions are expected to be held at the KK Ranges in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar this month and the next before the team gets down to preparing for joint trials with an Indian Army infantry team.
While the Indian Army has failed to close a deal so far with Israel for the Spike ATGM system, it continues to receive briefings and pitches on hardware from other countries. Most recently, the Army received briefings from MBDA for the MMP ATGM 5 system as a possible man-portable system, as well as for the Future Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) and BMP upgrade programs.
https://www.livefistdefence.com/201...n-man-portable-anti-tank-missile-shortly.html
These tests don't evoke much enthusiasm as Helina is up for some major fix!
These trials are meant for assuring India of ability to mass produce these items during war time if war happens to start now. It is better to have slightly less efficient ammunition than have obsolete ones for mass production.These tests don't evoke much enthusiasm as Helina is up for some major fix!
Apparently the fix is so big that DRDO asked for 4-5 months just to estimate how long it would need to fix it. DRDO is slated to go back to IA in March and propose a new date for project completion.
At best it might be the end of this year or early next year when bug-fixed Helina maybe ready for re-trials.
Bdw whats the problem....with helina...These trials are meant for assuring India of ability to mass produce these items during war time if war happens to start now. It is better to have slightly less efficient ammunition than have obsolete ones for mass production.
Rumours or confirmed news?....These tests don't evoke much enthusiasm as Helina is up for some major fix!
Apparently the fix is so big that DRDO asked for 4-5 months just to estimate how long it would need to fix it. DRDO is slated to go back to IA in March and propose a new date for project completion.
At best it might be the end of this year or early next year when bug-fixed Helina maybe ready for re-trials.
Source for the info ?These tests don't evoke much enthusiasm as Helina is up for some major fix!
Apparently the fix is so big that DRDO asked for 4-5 months just to estimate how long it would need to fix it. DRDO is slated to go back to IA in March and propose a new date for project completion.
At best it might be the end of this year or early next year when bug-fixed Helina maybe ready for re-trials.
Confirmed. See Gen.Rawat’s ipress conference!Rumours or confirmed news?....
See Gen.Rawat’s press conference.Source for the info ?
Is it related to propulsion or is it a demand for reduction of minimum range of engagement ?
Same demand was made in NAG wrt to minimum engagement range around 200 or 400 m , I forgot which
Actually we should be using these cheap, mobile platforms too.. both ATGM & QR-SAM at LOC.Indian Army to Arm Itself with Missile-fitted Helicopters, including Boeing Apaches
New Delhi. In sync with its “quick response” warfare doctrine, India’s Army will, beginning this year, arm itself with multiple helicopters, including the Boeing Apaches, which would be fitted with missiles and rockets to provide the much-needed air support to the ground troops, especially the mechanised forces.
This was made clear by Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat during his customary, annual press conference on 10th January, ahead of the 71st Army Day to be celebrated on 15th January this year.
First, the Indian Army is looking to induct missiles and rockets, preferably developed by India’s DRDO, for its Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and its Weapon System Integrated (WSI) variants. The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) makes the Advanced Light Helicopters or ALH ‘Dhruv’ and its Weapon System Integrated variant, called the ‘Rudra’.
While the ALHs have been serving the Indian Army for close to two decades now, including in the bone-chilling icy Siachen Glacier, the Rudras were inducted into the force in 2013 and are also the first truly armed helicopters produced in India.
DRDO Timelines
Gen Rawat said timelines had been defined for DRDO to develop them and then get manufactured by the Indian industry, state-run or through private sector. If there are delays, then the required weapons would be imported as a stopgap arrangement till the requirements can be met indigenously.
The emphasis is on India-made weapons, he emphasised indicating there had been some safety issues during the trials of those being developed by DRDO.
Elaborating, Gen Rawat said the Army has already begun raising the Rudra units and that these are “functional”. However, the Army will be looking to arm the Rudras with missiles and rockets. The DRDO, he said, was already developing missiles and rockets, which are in the pipeline for induction, for ALH.
These DRDO-made missiles and rockets were successfully tried and tested by the Army units. However, DRDO has been asked to provide a timeframe by which these weapons could be ready for induction. “In a couple of tests, the weapon had not met the desired standards. Hence, safety is an issue,” he stated.
The DRDO, he said, was continuing with its research and testing of the weapon system. Though the Army chief did not mention the weapon system’s name, the indications are that it is the ‘HeliNa’ missile, a new version of the now-abandoned anti-tank ‘Nag’ missile programme of the DRDO.
Import Option
If DRDO could not get the missile ready by the stipulated time frame, which would be finalised in March this year, the Army has kept its option of importing a missile from a foreign country.
Indications seem to be towards the Israeli ‘Spike’ Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM), an option that the Army has kept open since a likely $500-million deal for the same missile was cancelled just ahead of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in January 2018.
Boeing AH-64E Apaches
On the induction of Apaches, the Army Chief said the Army Aviation Corps would get the armed gunships only after the Indian Air Force (IAF) inducts 22 of these flying machines from the American Boeing stable. IAF Apaches are due for delivery this year, within the mandated period of three years after the signing up of the deal in 2016.
Basing facilities have already been set up for them at two IAF stations in the western sector.
The Indian Army placed an order last year for six Boeing AH-64E helicopters, following the same specifications as those of IAF, and has placed a total requirement of 39 of them, to be equally divided among its three Strike Corps. A manufacturer generally takes three years to deliver a system after the first payment is made.
“Our Apaches will follow the Air Force’s,” Gen Rawat observed, also saying that as a tank killer, the Apache was primarily a requirement of the Army.
Apaches for Army
Although the Government had sanctioned 22 Apaches for IAF, a later decision has mandated future supplies only for the Indian Army, to be flown by Army Aviation Corps pilots.
The General said that the Army and the Air Force were finalsing which of the two forces would control these flying machines. “Gradually, we are reaching consensus on the role and charter of the Apache helicopters.”
“Apache is a tank-killer and hence its support to mechanised forces is very important. To achieve the end-state faster on the battlefield, the third-dimension support is required to the troops on the ground. Hence, it is necessary for the Apache fleet to be groomed with the Strike formations of the Indian Army.”
In this perspective, he noted that the ALH WSI variant could be an anti-helicopter platform for the Strike formations. Notably, the US war technology company Raytheon had offered its air-to-air Stinger missile for integration on HAL-made helicopters. Progress in this regard is not known.
Light Combat Helicopter (LCH)
On the HAL-made Light Combat Helicopters (LCH), which is reaching its final stage of development, Gen Rawat said it would perform its final display at the Aero India show in Bangalore in February, following which the Army would take a final call on its induction into the Army Aviation Corps. The Army chief also had praise for the DRDO and HAL for developing a fine platform such as the LCH.
Infantry Modernisation
Gen Rawat also noted that Infantry modernisation was one of the top priorities of the Indian Army and that a new Assault Rifle for the infantrymen would be procured this year.
The Army would also procure a new Sniper rifle, under the financial powers of the Northern Army Commander, whereas a larger order under the Capital Procurement route would be placed later this year. The Chief said the Army Headquarters in South Block had initiated four studies on reorganisation and cadre structure to ensure that the Indian Army is a “lean and mean” force.
Integrated Battle Groups
One of the studies was to introduce the concept of the Integrated Battle Groups, which would be war-gamed in February and later ground exercises would be carried out to validate their concept in the coming months.
The Integrated Battle Groups would be a concept essentially for the Mountain Strike Corps, which has been raised earlier this decade to ensure India has the requisite offensive capability in the mountainous terrain of its northern borders.
We have been using NAG missile already.Actually we should be using these cheap, mobile platforms too.. both ATGM & QR-SAM at LOC.
No i meant platforms like these as trucks & NAMICA can be too big & costly, widespread deployment at LOC.We have been using NAG missile already.
R73 can't be fired from ground as the ground fire requires several additional modifications like boosters, vertical climbing flight etc.No i meant platforms like these as trucks & NAMICA can be too big & costly, widespread deployment at LOC.
TOW ATGM on HUMMVEE.
View attachment 33041
Mounted AMRAAM & WVR-AAM
View attachment 33040
If we had mobile ground-based launching platforms, for R-73 missile with mounted IRST at LOC, then we'd today have downed f-16s at Rajouri where they crossed.