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Gazi Abbas Shahid
Starting as a ground reporter back in his home UT of Jammu and Kashmir, Gazi has been a part of the news industry for well over a decade. While he finds every type of news engrossing, politics, partic ... Read More
In a major boost to India’s indigenous defence capabilities, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy successfully test-fired the indigenously-built Naval Anti-Ship Missile Short Range (NASM-SR). The advanced anti-ship missile struck its target with pinpoint precision after it was launched from a Seaking 42B helicopter at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha, on February 25, according to officials.
Designed and developed by DRDO, the NASM-SR is aimed to replace existing foreign-made anti-ship missile currently being used by the Indian Navy on its Seaking helicopters. The indigenous missile boasts a maximum range of over 50 km, and employs the sea- skimming mode during flight, keeping close to the surface of the water to avoid detection by radar systems.
Additionally, the advanced missile features the “Man-in-Loop” capability, allowing a human operator to course-correct the NASM-SR in mid-flight. A high-bandwidth two-way data link transmits live seeker images back to the pilot, who can then retarget if required.
In a statement, the Ministry of Defence (MoD), said the missile was launched in “Bearing-only Lock-on” mode, initially locking onto a large target before being redirected to a smaller, hidden one.
“The missile initially locked on to a large target within a specified zone of search and during the terminal phase, the pilot selected a smaller hidden target resulting in its being hit with pinpoint accuracy,” the MoD said.
According to details, the indigenous missile is equipped with an Imaging Infra-Red Seeker for terminal guidance and a Fibre Optic Gyroscope-based Inertial Navigation System for mid-course corrections. The NASM-SR is powered by a solid propulsion system with an in-line ejectable booster and a long-burn sustainer.
“The missile uses an indigenous Fiber Optic Gyroscope-based Inertial Navigation System and Radio Altimeter for its Mid- course guidance, an Integrated avionics module, Electro-Mechanical actuators for Aerodynamic and Jet vane control, thermal batteries and Printed Circuit Board warhead,” the MoD statement revealed.
As per the statement, the NASM-SR missile, which had its maiden flight in May 2022, has been jointly developed by DRDO’s Hyderabad-based Research Centre Imarat, Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Pune-based High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, and Chandigarh-based Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory.
Hailing the successful test flight, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh termed it a major leap forward in achieving self-reliance in defence technology. “The tests for Man-in-Loop features is unique as it gives the capability of in-flight retargeting,” Singh said, according to the MoD statement.
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