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Context

• Bharat Dynamics (BDL) has successfully conducted a field firing test of its latest 3rd generation man-portable Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM), Amogha-III.

About Amogha III

• Amogha-III is a third generation fire-and-forget Anti-Tank Guided Missile designed and developed by the in – house R&D Division of BDL.
• This indigenous missile has been developed under Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).
• The whole missile system comes with a command launch unit (CLU), remote operation capability and a tripod.
• Amogha-III ATGM boasts a fire-and-forget capability, requiring no external intervention following launch.
• Developed by BDL’s Research and Development Division, the missile also features a dual-mode IIR Seeker with a range of 200 to 2500 meters.
• Assisted by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Amogha-III showcases a tandem warhead, consisting of two separate explosive charges that are detonated in sequence.
  • The first charge, known as the precursor charge, penetrates the target’s armour, creating a hole for the second charge, the main charge, to detonate inside, maximizing damage inflicted on the target.
  • The use of a tandem warhead significantly enhances the missile’s ability to defeat heavily armoured targets.
• The missile can be fired in lock-on-before launch (LOBL) mode and its anti-armour tandem warhead can penetrate in excess of 650 mm beyond Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA).

FEATURES Range: 200 – 2500 m. Attack mode: Top / direct attack Man-portable. Tandem warhead with penetration in excess of 650 mm beyond Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA). Dual Mode Imaging Infra-Red (IIR) Seeker. Aerodynamic and Thrust Vector Control. Smokeless, Signature-free Propulsion System. Soft launch.

About ATGM

• An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), anti-tank missile, anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) or anti-armor guided weapon is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armored military vehicles.
• ATGMs range in size from shoulder-launched weapons, which can be transported by a single soldier, to larger tripod-mounted weapons, which require a squad or team to transport and fire, to vehicle and aircraft mounted missile systems.

Background

• Earlier man-portable anti-tank weapons like anti-tank rifles and magnetic anti-tank mines, generally had very short range, sometimes on the order of metres or tens of metres.
• Rocket-propelled high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) systems appeared in World War II and extended range to the order of hundreds of metres, but accuracy was low and hitting targets at these ranges was largely a matter of luck.
• It was the combination of rocket propulsion and remote wire guidance that made the ATGM much more effective than these earlier weapons.
• The introduction of semi-automatic guidance in the 1960s further improved the performance of ATGMs.

ATGMs in India

Laser guided ATGM: indigenously developed by DRDO, it employs a tandem High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) warhead to defeat Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA) protected armoured vehicles.

Helina: maximum range of seven kilometers and has been designed and developed for integration on the weaponized version of the Advanced Light Helicopter.

Nag: third-generation fire-and-forget missile developed for mechanized formations to engage heavily fortified enemy tanks.

Man-Portable ATGM: range of 2.5 kilometers, with fire-and-forget and top attack capabilities for infantry use.

Smart Stand-off Anti-Tank Missile (SANT): is being developed for launch from the Mi-35 Helicopter.

About Bharat Dynamics Limited

• It is one of India's manufacturers of ammunitions and missile systems.
• It was founded in 1970 in Hyderabad.
• BDL has three manufacturing units, located at Kanchanbagh, Hyderabad; Bhanur, Medak district, and Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

About IGMDP

• The Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme was an Indian Ministry of Defence programme for the research and development of the comprehensive range of missiles.
• The programme was managed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Ordnance Factories Board.
• The project started in 1982–83 under the leadership of Abdul Kalam who oversaw its ending in 2008 after these strategic missiles were successfully developed.
• APJ Abdul Kalam started multiple projects simultaneously to develop the following types of Indian Guided Missiles missiles.
  • Short Range Surface to Surface Missile (SSM) ‘Prithvi’
  • Long Range Surface to Surface Missile (SSM) ‘Agni’
  • Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (SAM) ‘Akash’
  • Short Range Surface to Air Missile (SAM) ‘Trishul’
  • Anti-tank Guided Missile (ATGM) ‘Nag’

PRACTICE QUESTION Q) India’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme has tasted success as far as the development of strategic missiles is concerned. Discuss. (250 words)

https://www.financialexpress.com/business/defence-indigenous-anti-tank-guided-missile-amogha-iii-tested-successfully-know-about-it-3027152/