The helicopter-launched version of the Nag anti-tank guided missile, ‘Helina’, and its Air Force variant ‘Dhruvastra’ underwent a joint user trial in the desert ranges recently, the Ministry of Defence said on Friday. The missile systems have been designed and developed indigenously by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
DRDO officials said a total of five missions were conducted over the last week to test these two systems and were carried out from an indigenously-developed Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) platform.
“Five missions were carried out for evaluating the missile capabilities in minimum and maximum range. The missiles were fired in hover and max forward flight against realistic static and moving targets. Some missions were carried out with warheads against derelict tanks. A mission was carried out against a moving target from a forward-flying helicopter,” read a press statement from the MoD.
Helena, which is the helicopter-launched version of the Nag missile system, is a third-generation fire and forget class anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system mounted on the ALH. The system has all-weather day and night operational capabilities and can defeat battle tanks with conventional armour as well as explosive reactive armour (ERA). The Helina missile can engage targets in both indirect hit mode as well as top attack mode.