Nag (missile)

The Nag missile (lit. 'Cobra'), also called Prospina for the land-attack version, is an Indian third-generation, all-weather, fire-and-forget, lock-on after launch, anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) with an operational range of 500 m to 20 km depending on variant. It has a single-shot hit probability of 90% and a ten-year, maintenance-free shelf life. The Nag has five variants under development: a land version, for a mast-mounted system; the helicopter-launched Nag (HELINA) also known as Dhruvastra; a "man-portable" version (MPATGM); an air-launched version which will replace the current imaging infra-red (IIR) to millimetric-wave (mmW) active radar homing seeker; and the Nag Missile Carrier (NAMICA) "tank buster", which is a modified BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) produced under license in India by Ordnance Factory Medak (OFMK).
Development of the Nag is part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP), run by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL). India's Ministry of Defence announced on 19 July 2019 that the missile was ready for production. The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) successfully completed the final trial of Nag anti-tank missile using a live warhead on a dud tank at Pokhran army ranges at 6.45 am on 21 Oct 2020.
Development of the Nag missile began in 1988 under A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. The first tests were conducted in November 1990. Development was delayed for several years because of issues with the IIR-based guidance system. The Nag missile underwent successful tests in September 1997 and January 2000. In 2000, MoD announced that the Nag was likely to enter full-scale production in early 2001. By 2008, the development cost had reached ₹300 crore (equivalent to ₹836 crore or US$97.6 million in 2023). In July 2009, the Nag ATGM was cleared for production. The final user trials were successfully completed in July 2010. The missile was cleared for mass production. BDL planned to produce 100 Nag missiles annually to replace the existing Konkours and MILAN second-generation missiles in the arsenal. The Nag successfully completed its final validation trials and was expected to join the Indian Army's arsenal in 2011.
In 2011, the project suffered a one-year delay due to the army's changing of its requirements for the NAMICA at the last moment. This was due to the failure of the missile to hit the target at 4 km range during the summer trials of 2011 in Rajasthan. The scientists found a fault in the Europe-imported heat-seeker: it was unable to distinguish between the heat signature of the target and its surroundings during high temperatures at long distances. This led to the development of a better indigenous seeker, with higher resolution and sensitivity, by Research Centre Imarat (RCI), that could track and distinguish targets at long distances. The first trials of the new seeker were carried out on 29 July 2013 in hot desert conditions in Rajasthan. The aerodynamic characterization research was conducted at the National Aerospace Laboratories' 1.2m Trisonic Wind Tunnel Facility.
The Nag cleared final developmental trials held by Indian Army in September 2016, making way once again for the weapon system to enter mass production. In 2018, the single-shot hit probability was 77% (later improved to 90%).
The missile was again declared ready for induction on 28 February 2018, after successfully destroying 2 tanks in desert conditions in a test. In 2018, the DRDO chief claimed that the Nag system would be inducted into the Indian Army by 2019. As of 2019, the missile was ready for induction and was expected to enter mass production by year-end, according to a senior DRDO official.
As of 2018, there is a requirement of around 3,000 Nag missile for the land-launched variant of the Army.
The Nag missile's exterior is made of fibreglass.
It is developed for engaging heavily armoured tanks in all-weather conditions during day and night with a minimum range of 500 m and a maximum range of 4 km for the land variant. The third-generation fire-and-forget-class ATGM uses an imaging infrared (IIR) seeker that locks on to the target before launch. The airframe is made up of composite materials with high resistance to enemy countermeasures. The forward dome houses the guidance system. The middle portion of the body accommodates sensor packages and the warhead. A booster rocket is located towards the rear end. The Nag consists of four foldable wings and four tail fins that stabilize it during flight. A real-time image processor located next to the guidance package helps enable automatic target detection and tracking capability. The digital autopilot helps in the guidance, stability, and control after launch.
An electric actuation system also helps in flight control. The guidance system is based on an imaging infrared (IIR) seeker that ensures a high target accuracy in both top and front attack modes. A CCD camera integrated into the guidance system is useful as it is hard to jam. The initial guidance is provided by area correlation around the target, to which is added a centroid tracking mechanism. Homing in the terminal phase is done by area correlation around the centroid.
The Nag rises upwards suddenly and then bends at a steep angle to aim for the target.
As of 2017, the Nag missile's only operational launch platform is the purpose-built NAMICA missile carrier. A number of other variants were in various stages of development and testing.
The NAMICA (Nag Missile Carrier) is a stretched, license-built BMP-2 with additional wheels, nicknamed "BMP-2 Sarath" in India. The NAMICA along with the Nag missile is designated as the NAMIS (Nag Missile System). It is classified as a tank destroyer. It is equipped with various electro-optical systems including a thermal imager (TI) and a laser rangefinder (LRF) for target acquisition. As unveiled in DefExpo 2008, the NAMICA carries a total of twelve missiles, with eight in ready-to-fire mode and four in storage. It has a compact auxiliary power unit (APU) for silent watch operation, a fire detection and suppression system (FDSS) and nuclear, biological, and chemical protection system (NBCPS). The carrier weights 14.5 tonnes in full combat load and is capable of moving 7 km/h in water. The carrier was put through transportation trials, covering 155 km during 2008 summer trials. It has various modes of firing, including top attack and indirect attack mode. It has a lock-on-before-launch system, where the target is identified and designated before the launch. The range of attack is limited due to its targeting system being based on visual identification. It supports a crew of four including the commander who is equipped with Land Navigation System (LNS).
The NAMICA successfully completed amphibious trials in the Indira Gandhi Canal at Rajasthan on 8 August 2008.
Another version of the missile launcher, NAMICA-2, was first tested in 2019. The newer variant was equipped with an improved targeting system and a launcher configuration of six combat-ready missiles against earlier eight. The development received approval in 2018. The launcher was first publicly showcased during the Republic Day parade in Rajpath at New Delhi in 2023.
Guided by NAMICA-2's Imaging Infra Red (IIR) seeker, Nag ATGM has a range of 7.5 kilometres. All the six missiles can be fired within 20 seconds in quick firing mode. It carries a crew of four. The total project cost of NAMICA is ₹3,000 crore and is developed by Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) and Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). Ministry of Defence cleared NAMICA for production as of 14 August 2020.
The NAMICA Mk-2 is the second generation launch platform for the design which is under development as of September 2024. Though it inherits the BMP-2 as its chassis, it has a different configuration from its predecessor. The system retains the 30mm autocannon turret and is fitted with two twin Nag ATGM launchers on the sides of the turret. The passenger compartment is replaced with a missile storage system. The system is poised to be lighter. On January 13, 2025, the Field Evaluation Trial of NAMICA Mk-2 with Nag Mk 2 was successfully carried out at Pokhran Field Range and was ready for induction by the Army.