DRDO successfully tests third-generation anti-tank missile
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"New Delhi: The indigenously-developed Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) was successfully tested by the Defence Research Development Organization in Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool on Wednesday.
The test on Wednesday was the third stage of successful testing of the MPATGM, a low-weight fire-and-forget missile.
A Defence Ministry official said all objectives of the test mission conducted on Wednesday were met by the missile.
The missile was launched from a man portable tripod launcher and the target was mimicking a functional tank in the Kurnool ranges. The missile hit the target in top attack mode and destroyed it with precision.
The third-generation missile is incorporated with state-of-the-art infrared imaging seeker along with advanced avionics. The missile weighs around 14 kg and can be used by infantry battalions against armored vehicles. It has a maximum range of around 2.5 kms and will replace Soviet-era anti-tank missiles that are being used by the Army.
Earlier, India had cancelled a mega order of Israeli anti-tank missile, Spike, in favor of the MPATGM. A multi-million dollar deal with an Israeli firm for the Spike missile had been abandoned after the DRDO promised to deliver its indigenously developed guided missile by 2021.
The DRDO successfully developed the anti-tank guided missile without any technological assistance from foreign firms.