New Delhi: The indigenously developed anti-tank guided missile NAG (Cobra) by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Integrated Guided Missile Programme (IGMDP) can destroy enemy tanks miles away and is one of the world’s finest in its class.
This all-weather missile with day and night capabilities comes in four variants that can be launched from land and air.
The fire-and-forget missile, developed under IGMDP, also includes four other missiles — Agni, Akash, Trishul and Prithvi.
NAG has a minimum range of 500 metres and a maximum of 20 km, depending on the launch type. It has a top speed of 230 meter/second (or 828 km/hour).
The Nag variants (Range): Prospina (500m-4km): Prospina, the land version meant for infantry, can be launched from a tracking-cum-launch vehicle known as NAMICA (Nag Missile Carrier). The launch system is mounted on light infantry vehicle BMP-2 and can carry up to six missiles. Each launcher can fire four missiles in one minute.
Helina (7-10km): It is a helicopter-launched version of NAG with an extended range. The launch system is mounted on HAL “Rudra” helicopter using “Rudrastra” twin-launcher system and HAL Light Combat Helicopters. The launch system is used by both Indian Army and Air Force.
Helina (SANT) (15-20 km): This is an upgraded version of the third-generation Helina with an extended range. The higher range and a new nose-mounted radar seeker help the missile launch platform stay at a safe distance, to evade enemy fire.
Man Portable Anti-tank Guided Missile (MPATGM): This version is lighter (14.5 kg) in comparison to other variants and can be launched from the shoulder. It has a strike range of 2.5 km.
The front part of the missile penetrates the outer explosive reactive armour (ERA) of the tanks and the main charge destroys the inside armour.
There are only two other fire-and-forget missiles in the world that can be compared with Nag — the American Javelin and the Israeli Spike. While Javelin and Spike are lighter missiles that can be carried by a soldier, Nag is more powerful as its infrared seekers can’t be jammed.
It has four foldable flaps with a wingspan of 0.4 m each. The missile is 1.85m long, weighs 43kg and 0.20m in diameter. However, the ‘Man Portable’ variant is smaller and lighter with 15kg load capacity.
