SANT Missile Successfully Test-Fired: Here's What You Must Know
SANT (Stand-off Anti-tank) missile has been successfully test-fired off the coast of Odisha and is being developed by DRDO and IAF.
India successfully test-fired SANT (Stand-off Anti-tank) missile off the coast
of Odisha. The missile is being developed by Imarat (DRDO's research centre)
in collaboration with the IAF. The missile is reported to be the upgraded
version of India's Helina (Helicopter Launched Nag) missile.
Key Highlights:
1- The earlier version of the missile had a range of around 8 km but the
upgraded variant can cover at least double the distance.
2- SANT missile has a range between 15 to 20 km.
3- It is equipped with a nose-mounted active radar seeker. Thus, the launch
platform can be located at a safe distance from the target area.
4- As per the sources, the missile will have both Lock-on After Launch and
Lock-on Before Launch capabilities.
5- SANT missile will be launched from a Mi-35 helicopter (Russian helicopter)
gunship in the month of December.
6- The missile hit the target precisely and performed extremely complex
manoeuvres.
7- Unlike other missiles of this class, the SANT missile can destroy the
targets from a long-range.
8- As per the officials associated with the missile, SANT is one of the best
airborne anti-armour guided missiles in the world.
9- On the other hand, the BrahMos missile was test-fired from an
indigenously-developed stealth destroyer (INS Chennai) and hit the target in
the Arabian Sea.
It is interesting to note that India has test-fired 10 missiles within 35 days
to combat Chinese aggression along the LAC and SANT is the 11 missile which
has been test fired.
List of all 10 Missiles Tested By India
| List of all 10 Missiles tested by India
|
DRDO's Nag Range
The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has developed many
anti-tank missiles in its 'Nag' class, having a range between 500m to 20 km
(range depends on launch type).
Currently, Nag has 5 variants which are under development. These are as
follows:
1- A land version for a mast-mounted system
2- HeliNa or the Helicopter Launched Nag
3- MPATGM or Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile
4- An air-launched version
5- NAMICA or the Nag Missile Carrier
Lock-On Before Launch Feature
1- In this, the operators of the missile identify the enemy tanks first with
the help of thermal imaging and then the image is captured and uploaded on the
Nag's seeker system.
2- Thereafter, the missile is launched towards the target which continues
capturing target images and cross-checks them continuously with the reference
image.
3- The missile operators can deviate the missile from its original path as and
when required.
Lock-On After Launch Feature
1- This feature allows the missile operators to lock-on the target after
launching the missile in a general direction.
2- In this, the missile scans the area before acquiring the target, lock-on
itself and changes its path accordingly.
3- This helps the helicopters from which they are launched to effectively
shoot and scoot.
| Lock-on before launch feature | Lock-on after launch feature |
| 1- This feature is less accurate. | 1- The feature is very precise. |
| 2- The missile cannot evade the defensive fire. | 2- The missile can evade defensive fire. |
| 3- The firing must be done within a 5km range. | 3- The firing can be done from a distance of even 10 km. |
About Helina
HeliNa or the Helicopter Launched Nag is a third-generation fire and forget
class Anti-tank Guided Missile (ATGM) system mounted on the Advanced Light
Helicopter (ALH).
Do You Know?
The American Javelin and the Israeli Spike are the only two other 'fire and
forget missiles' which can be compared with the DRDO's Nag.
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