NEW DELHI: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy have successfully conducted flight trials of the innovative naval anti-ship missile (NASM-SR), which features ‘Man-in-Loop’ capabilities. This unique feature allows for inflight retargeting, enhancing the missile’s effectiveness.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised DRDO, the Indian Navy, and industry partners for their successful flight tests, which took place on Tuesday at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur. The trials showcased the missile’s ability to target ships when launched from a naval helicopter.
“The missile uses an indigenous imaging infra-red seeker for terminal guidance. Additionally, the trials demonstrated a high-bandwidth two-way datalink system that transmits live seeker images back to the pilot, enabling inflight retargeting,” the Ministry of Defence explained.
The missile was launched in ‘Bearing-only Lock-on’ mode, allowing it to select the target from multiple nearby vessels. The trials successfully demonstrated the missile’s ‘Man-in-Loop’ feature, with a direct hit on a small ship target in sea-skimming mode at its maximum range, the ministry confirmed.
