New Delhi, April 14 (Agency) Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Army successfully conducted trials of the indigenous Man Portable Anti-tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) Weapon System. The Warhead Flight Trials were successfully conducted at the Pokhran Field Firing Range, Rajasthan, on Saturday, and the missile performance and warhead performance were found to be remarkable, a Defence Ministry statement said on Sunday. The system consisted of the MPATGM, Launcher, Target Acquisition System, and Fire Control Unit. An adequate number of missile firing trials have been successfully conducted towards achieving compliance with the complete operational envelope as stipulated in the General Staff Qualitative Requirements (Infantry, Indian Army).
Penetration trials of the Tandem Warhead System of MPATGM have been successfully completed, and it is found capable of defeating modern armour-protected Main Battle Tanks. The ATGM system is well-equipped with day/night and top-attack capability. Dual-mode seeker functionality is a great addition to the missile capability for tank warfare. With this, technology development and successful demonstration have been concluded, and the system is now ready for Final User Evaluation Trials leading towards its induction into the Indian Army. Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has complimented the DRDO and the Indian Army for the successful trials of the system, terming it an important step towards achieving self-reliance in advanced technology-based defence system development. Secretary, Department of Defence R&D, and Chairman, Dr. Samir V. Kamat, also congratulated the teams associated with the trials.