The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Research and Development (R&D) wing of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), and the Indian Army successfully conducted the test-firing of the indigenously developed Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MP-ATGM).
- The test was conducted at Pokhran Field Firing Range (PFFR) in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
Test Launch:
i.The missile is soft-launched from a canister using an ejection motor and deployed from a tripod with a maximum range of 2.5 kilometers (km).
ii.The total system weight was maintained at under 15 kilograms (kg).
About the MP-ATGM:
i.The MP-ATGM is a shoulder-launched missile system designed to neutralise enemy tanks and armoured vehicles.
ii.The missile is a lightweight, cylindrical weapon featuring 2 sets of 4 radial fins and a High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) shaped charge warhead.
iii.The missile measures approximately 130 centimeters (cm) in length and 12 cm in diameter.
iv.The total system weighs approximately 14.5 kg, with an additional 14.25 kg for the Command Launch Unit (CLU).
v.Range: It has an operational range of 200 to 300 meters at the minimum and up to 4 km at the maximum.
vi.The ATGM system is equipped with day/night and top attack operational capability, along with a dual mode seeker.
vii.The missile has miniaturised Imaging Infra-Red (IIR) Seeker and advanced avionics for onboard control and guidance.
DRDO Conducts Successful Maiden Flight Test of ‘GAURAV’ from Su-30 MK-I Platform off Odisha Coast
The DRDO has successfully conducted the maiden flight test of the Long Range Glide Bomb (LRGB) named ‘GAURAV’, from an Indian Air Force (IAF) platform Su-30 MK-I off the coast of Odisha.
- GAURAV has been designed and developed indigenously by the Research Centre Imarat (RCI) in Hyderabad, Telangana.
Key Features of GAURAV:
i.Gaurav is an air-launched 1,000-kg class glide bomb capable of hitting targets at long distances.
ii.It utilises a hybrid navigation system combining the Inertial Navigation System (INS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) data for precise target acquisition.
iii.The bomb achieved pinpoint accuracy, with flight data captured by Telemetry and Electro-Optical Tracking Systems (EOTS) deployed by the Integrated Test Range (ITR) along the coastline.
About the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO):
DRDO was formed in 1958 from the amalgamation of the then already functioning Technical Development Establishment (TDEs) of the Indian Army and the Directorate of Technical Development & Production (DTDP) with the Defence Science Organisation (DSO).
Chairman– Dr Samir V Kamat
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
