Third generation Nag test-firing in Pokhran soon - The Times of India
Third generation Nag test-firing in Pokhran soon
JAISALMER: The third generation Nag missile's final test will be done in Jaisalmer's Pokhran field firing range next week. The "fire-and-forget" missile has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
Scientists of DRDO and senior army officers will be present for the trial. There are some corrections done in Nag missile's launch pad. The target-setting of the missile has also been done in range. Nag missile was last tested in July 2010 at the same place.
Confirming the tests, a DRDO spokesman said there are some technical changes and corrections in the launch pad as per army requirements. The army is satisfied with the performance of Nag Missile.
"The missile is developed by the Defence R&D Laboratory (DRDL) in Hyderabad. The army is confident of the performance of missile. It has budgeted Rs 335 crore to complete the project," said the spokesman.
"The Nag, once fired, is guided to hit even a fast-moving tank. In earlier-generation missiles an operator had to guide it all the way, often exposing himself to enemy fire. The world has just a handful of "fire-and-forget" missiles, such as the American Javelin, and the Israeli Spike. The Javelin and the Spike are lighter missiles that can be carried by a soldier. The Nag is a heavier and more powerful designed to operate from vehicles and helicopters. As per sources, that Nag can hit a target in any climate at any time, whether day or night. Nag missiles can hit a target within 4 km.
The optical guidance system of Nag makes it virtually jam-proof unlike infra-red seekers of the Javelin and the Spike. The indigenous development of an imaging seeker, a highly complex and closely guarded technology, is Nag's biggest advantage.
This is how the missile operates -- it searches for enemy tanks through thermal imaging telescopes, visibility is same for day & night. Locating a tank, the operator freezes the missile on to a target, a digital snapshot of the target is automatically taken, which serves as a reference image. As the Nag streaks towards the target, at 230 metres per second, the seeker takes repeated snapshots of the target; each one is compared with the reference image, and deviations are translated through on-board algorithms into corrections to the Nag's control fins, which steer the missile precisely at the target.
The Nag provides its operator with another important tactical advantage. The plume of burning propellant from the tail of most missiles gives away its flight path and allows the target to get behind cover. The Nag, in contrast, is visible only during the first one second of flight, when the missile's booster imparts 90% of the momentum; after that, a sustainer maintains the missile's speed, burning a smokeless propellant that is practically invisible.
Nag trials were done in on December 26, 2008, July 3, 2009 & August 3, 2009 and last in July 2010. Preparations to test the missile are complete.
