The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy conducted successful flight-trials of first-of-its-kind Naval Anti-Ship missile (NASM-SR) from Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
The trials carried out from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) missile-testing facility in Chandipur, showed the NASM-SR’s ability against ship targets, the defence ministry said in a statement. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO and the Navy for successfully test-firing the missile.
What is the NASM-SR’s Man-in-Loop feature?
It was launched from an Indian Navy Sea King helicopter. The ministry said the trials have proven the missile's Man-in-Loop feature – which allows in-flight retargeting – and “scored a direct hit on a small ship target in sea-skimming mode at its maximum range".
NASM-SR uses an indigenous imaging infra-red seeker for terminal guidance, and also has a high-bandwidth two-way datalink system, for real-time transmission of seeker images back to the pilot for in-flight retargeting (Man-in-Loop feature).
The missile was, reportedly, launched in Bearing-Only Lock-on After Launch (BO-LOAL) mode, initially targeting a large ship within a specified search zone with multiple targets. Then, during the terminal phase, with the help of the Man-in-Loop feature, the pilot selected a smaller hidden target and hit it accurately.
NASM-SR has been developed by several DRDO labs, including Research Centre Imarat, Defence Research and Development Laboratory, High Energy Materials Research Laboratory and Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory.
NASM-SR has indigenous technologies such as Fiber Optic Gyroscope-based Inertial Navigation System (INS), a Radio Altimeter for mid-course guidance, an integrated avionics module, electro-mechanical actuators for aerodynamic and jet vane control, thermal batteries, and a Pre-Fragmented Blast (PFB) warhead, as per reports.
A solid-fuel system with an in-line ejectable booster and a long-burn sustainer provides the propulsion.
