India successfully tests another anti-tank HELINA missile from different range & altitude

In yet another success for the DRDO, the Indian Army and the IAF on Tuesday successfully conducted the trial of the anti-tank missile, HELINA, from high altitude conditions in Ladakh, DRDO officials told ANI. The test was conducted with the missile launched using an Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH). The missile was fired & successfully destroyed the simulated tank target.

"India today carried out a successful test firing of the HELINA anti-tank guided missile from the indigenous Advanced Light Helicopter in high altitude areas of Ladakh. The missile was tested yesterday also in the same area where it successfully hit a simulated tank target," DRDO officials told ANI.

The flight test and trials were conducted jointly by the teams of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Indian Army and Indian Air Force (IAF). The HELINA missile is guided by an Imaging Infra-red Seeker (IIR) operating in lock-on before launch mode. The teams who overviewed the test were congratulated by Secretary Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh, for a successful performance in a difficult terrain. 

On Monday in another trial, HELINA was successfully launched from high-altitude ranges from an indigenously-developed helicopter.

Recent progress in India's missile programme

On January 11, 2022, India had successfully tested a Made-in-India, Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile. The DRDO spokesperson informed that it is a low weight, fire-and-forget missile and can be launched from a thermal site-integrated portable launcher. It was also informed that the test achieved all the objectives by destroying the designated target.

In yet another success for India's missile programme, the BrahMos missile was developed by the joint venture - BrahMos and the partnership between DRDO and the Russian designer, NPOM. In December 2021, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh assured about the benefits from the BrahMos missile as it covered a range of 290 km at speeds upto 2.8 - 2 mach speed. The missile was test-fired at the maximum range and destroyed a target ship with extreme precision.  

Republic Media Network had earlier reported that Union Minister Rajnath Singh had reflected on the missile development and said, "The BrahMos missile and other weapons we are manufacturing are not to attack any other country. It has never been the character of India to attack any other country or grab even an inch of the land of any country."

IMAGE : DRDO_India - TWITTER