Advantages of MMW Seeker Over IR Seeker in an ATGM

Nag ATGM at Aero India 2011. Photo Credit: Vijainder K Thakur

DRDO plans to fit a MMW (Millimeter Wave) seeker on the Helina missile, which it successfully tested in Pokharan on Sunday, September 22, 2013.

Currently, the missile features a IR cum Image Co-relation seeker.

What's the big deal about a MMW seeker? Here is an attempt to answer the question.

1. MMW seekers are more suited to battlefield environment as they perform better in fog, mist, dust and smoke, but not rain. IR seeker capabilities get moderately degraded with weather (fog, mist) and more severely by battlefield obscurants such as dust and smoke.

2. MMW seekers are capable of doppler detection of moving targets.

3. MMW seekers allow for low drag nose shape of missile warheads.

4. MMW seekers are capable of providing range and range rate information for accurate triggering of proximity fuse.

For additional details about the Nag ATGM, please visit the link below.

IDP Sentinel - Nag / Helina ATGM

Helina Air Launched ATGM Successfully Tested

Nag ATGM at DefExpo 2006. Photo Credit: Vijainder K Thakur

The Helina ATGM was successfully tested at Pokharan range against a target 7 km away on Sunday, September 22, 2013. The missile was fired from a launch pad simulating a low flying helicopter.

The test was the second live firing of the complete Helina system.

First fight test of the 7-km range missile was carried out in early 2012. The missile successfully demonstrated its lock-on-after-launch capability during the test but failed to hit the target because of some problem with the actuators.

Helina is the helicopter launched version of the Nag missile.

Unlike the shorter range Nag, which acquires a target lock before launch, Helina features a "lock-on after launch" capability.

Helina missiles will arm the weaponized version of Dhruv ALH which will carry 8 missiles in 2 quadruple launchers mounted on either side, linked to a nose-mounted stabilized thermal sight and a laser range-finder package.

You can read more about the Helina ATGM and its land based version Nag at the link below.

http://idp.justthe80.com/missiles/anti-tank-missiles/nag-anti-tank-missile