DRDO working on slightly reduced range of Nag missile

The DRDO is working on a slightly reduced range of Nag, the indigenously-built third generation anti-tank guided missile, Director General S. Christopher said here on Thursday.

Laying the foundation stone of the Jagadish Chandra Bose Centre for Advanced Technology (JCBCAT) at the Jadavpur University here, Christopher said the country's premier Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was focusing on exporting some of its products.

"The missile identifies the target (tank) through infra red seeking. So if the environment is cool and even if the differential temperature is just two degree, it can identify the target," he told reporters here.

"But if the tank is left for hours in summer (sun), that is what we did during the recent trial, the temperature difference between the tank and the environment is negligible and that is the time we cannot meet the targeted four km range," he said.

While the missile had a successful night trial earlier in the year, Christopher said the DRDO was working on a slightly reduced range of "around 3.2 km from the targeted four km".

"So we have requested the defence minister that as a first phase the missile's range be slightly reduced, that too only when used in the middle of the day i.e., between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. So in phase one, we will work on a slightly reduced range and in the next phase we will improve the product so as to meet all the targets," he said.

Developed under the integrated guided missile development programme, the fire-and-forget Nag, in January this year successfully hit the target four km away during a night trial in the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan.

Asserting that despite delays its products continue to be in demand, Christopher said the DRDO was focussing on exports.

"We have given a set of our products to the defence minister for exports, particularly to our neighbouring countries. The exports are more a tactical move than from the revenue point of view."

"As regards delays in delivering, it takes time to develop a product. Even in the US it took not less than 15 years to develop an airborne early warning system. The time taken to develop the products does not take away their relevance. Otherwise the military would not have placed orders surpassing Rs 2.17 lakh crore for DRDO products," he said.

A joint venture between the DRDO and the Jadavpur University, the JCBCAT will primarily undertake research in areas of secure systems and cognitive technologies, directed energy, unmanned and robotics and other futuristic technologies.

With a fund of around Rs 100 crore, the JCBCAT is expected to be operational in the next two years.

--IANS

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