Nag waits for sweetheart NAMICA | Emotional DRDL for final orders | Stubborn Army for quality spitfire sys | Climax in Pokhran during carrier re-validation trials

 By Anantha Krishnan M

Express News Service

Bangalore/Hyderabad: This is the gripping love story of anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) Nag and its system sweetheart NAMICA (Nag Missile Carrier), that went awry. The climax of probably the longest story of India's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), will finally unfold during coming Summer. Who will wed Nag? Will it be the NAMICA being re-groomedd by Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) or the one being nurtured by Larsen and Tubro (L&T)? Adding twist to the tale is the possibility of the best of both systems being taken and rolled into a single macho carrier. 

The wait has put Hyderabad-based Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) into an emotional spin, considering that the Indian Army had earlier placed its Acceptance of Necessity (AON) for 443 Nag missiles 13 NAMICAs in 2005. The Army had made it clear then that a firm commitment will only be given once all trials are successful and the system is fit for induction. The Army also projected in their perspective plan the need for 7000 Nag missiles and around 200 NAMICAs.

“As a complete weapon system (Nag + NAMICA) a final commitment will be given only after the Pokhran trials in coming summer. After the user trials in 2010, we had accepted Nag as an ATGM, but wanted integration with launcher improved,” Army sources told Express.  The electro-mechanical systems of the two NAMCIAs used during trials (both made by BEL) were found to be below Army's expectations in tough dessert terrain conditions, including reliability concerns propping-up.

Work on Nag weapon system began in 1987 and the day version of the missile proved its mettle in 2000. Then the Army and DRDO top brass wanted the missile to have day and night capabilities, which is said to have developed in 2002. Later, the need for dual sensors was felt, including IR sensor for day/night and CCD (charged coupled device) for day. Finally, in 2007, the development of missile was completed along with NAMICA and user trials in phases were held during 2008-2010, until the NAMICA became DRDL's Nag-ging niece. “We have hence decided to go for two companies (BEL, L&T) and the best NAMICA will be selected after comparative studies and re-validation trials. The competitive evaluation of reconfigured NAMICA is possibly the last hurdle before the Army places the order,” sources said.

The upgraded NAMICA boasts of an advanced fire control system (FCS), advanced sighting system for both gunner and commander and compact auxiliary power unit (APU) which operates inside the hull compartment. “The carrier will offer a better launcher drive mechanism, reduced weight, smooth mobility and amphibious capabilities. Earlier the Army wanted eight missiles on the launcher and four in the stowage. Now, this has been reduced to six ready-to-fire missiles on the launcher only,” sources said.

DRDL claims that the missile can hit target up to 4 km in favourable conditions and up to 3 km in adverse conditions. “It is a very potent warhead which can pierce in excess of 850 mm of armour. A new seeker being developed in-house will take the range to 4.5 km, and guaranteed 4 km under all conditions. So far the project has cost over Rs 300 crore and a total of 80 missiles were developed in the pre-production phase by Bharat Dynamics Ltd. Around 50 missiles were used during trials,” sources said.

So will it be BEL, L&T or best of both going to be the winner?  In love and war, seldom you get a second chance. Stay tuned!

|To be continued| Copyright@The New Indian Express | 

(CRACKING INDIA'S MISSILE CODE is an exclusive series currently on in The New Indian Express. In the days ahead, you will get to read a mix of news-breaks and tech-upgrades on current and futuristic missile programs of India, in addition to some human-interest pieces. Email your thoughts on this long-range series to anantha.ak@gmail.com and point out factual errors, if any, that might have crept in despite my best efforts. Thanks Radha Raman for keeping a very close watch on the series.)

PART-IX

Milli-metric wave (mmW) seeker flight-tested onboard Nag missile successfully

A file photo of Nag Missile being test-fired. Photo: Special Arrangement

By Anantha Krishnan M

Express News Service

Bangalore:  India on Sunday successfully flight-tested a milli-metric wave (mmW), all-weather capability seeker, onboard Nag -- an anti-tank, fire-and-forget missile. The test was held at the Army’s small arms firing ranges in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. The seeker was tested for a specific range of 2 km, while the Nag missile has the capabilities (proven) to hit targets up to 4 km.

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief V K Saraswat confirmed to Express that it was for the first time that a home-grown missile was used as a carrier vehicle to prove the capabilities of a mmW seeker successfully. “It is a very significant achievement and we will now work towards increasing the range of the seeker. It’s a path-breaking work being undertaken by Research Centre Imarat (RCI),” Sarswat said.

(A seeker, in a missile is miniature a radar, mounted on the nose of the missile with which it detects the presence of the target, acquires it and tracks the target against which the missile has been fired. It also helps the missile generate necessary commands so that missile is guided towards the target in order to destroy it.)

Sunday’s test had for the first time a radio frequency (RF) seeker sitting pretty on an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) Nag with ‘specific mission parameters.’ “The objective was to determine the capability of the seeker to track the target right from the point of the missile being fired up to reaching the target. Next step is to perfect the guided systems with the precision to hit tanks,” S S Mishra, Project Director, Nag, Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad, told Express from Pune. “The seeker has proven its worth in the lock-on-before-launch mode and now we will focus on the lock-on-after-launch mode,” Mishra added.

DRDO in the past had failed to succeed in designing mmW seeker(s) in the 3.5 km-plus range and the just-concluded test would probably give the scientists enough confidence to develop one for higher ranges. In addition, the Imaging Infra Red (IIR) seekers doesn’t work in adverse weather (fog, dust, smoke etc) conditions, hence the all-weather capabilities of RF mmW seekers come to the fore.

Interestingly, Missile Man Dr A P J Abdul Kalam mentions in detail the significance of developing mmW antenna for the Nag seeker head in his autobiography Wings of Fire. He had emphasised how India must overcome technological foreign dependence in creating these components.

                              (Copyright@The New Indian Express)