HeliNA

Aug. 20, 2018

Indian army successfully test fired Helina – an anti-tank guided missile – launched from a Helicopter at the Pokhran Range, Rajasthan.

About:

  • HeliNa stands for Helicopter-launched Nag. It is a variant of the land-launched Nag anti-tank guided missile.

  • It is indigenously developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

  • HeliNa is designed to be launched from the HAL Light Combat Helicopter, the HAL Dhruv and its armed variant, HAL Rudra.

  • The Nag missile, and HeliNa, are 'fire-and-forget' missiles (i.e. once locked on to a target before their launch, it is guided by an Infrared Imaging Seeker (IIR) that would help track the target's movements and make changes to their trajectory to ensure a hit).

  • Anti-tank guided missiles are designed to destroy or debilitate tanks and armoured vehicles.

  • Present status: The Nag along with HeliNa is also undergoing trials, and is yet to be inducted into the Indian Army (although it has been in development since the 1980s).

Source : PIB