New Delhi: In a boost for India's maritime power capabilities, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy have carried out successful flight trials of a first-of-its-kind naval anti-ship missile (NASM-SR) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur.

The missile was launched in bearing-only lock-on after launch mode with several targets in close vicinity for selecting one among them.

The missile initially locked on to a large target within a specified zone of search and during the terminal phase, the pilot selected a smaller hidden target resulting in its being hit with pinpoint accuracy.

According to the Defence Ministry, the anti-ship missile trials were held on Tuesday. The trials demonstrated the missile’s capability against ship targets while launched from a Seaking helicopter of the navy.

The trials have proven the missile’s man-in-loop feature and scored a direct hit on a small ship target in sea-skimming mode at its maximum range.

The Defence Ministry said that the missile uses an indigenous imaging infra-red seeker for terminal guidance. The mission also has demonstrated the high bandwidth two-way datalink system, which is used to transmit the seeker's live images back to the pilot for in-flight retargeting.

The missile uses an indigenous fibre optic gyroscope-based INS and radio altimeter for its mid-course guidance, an integrated avionics module, electro-mechanical actuators for aerodynamic and jet vane control, thermal batteries and PCB warhead. It uses solid propulsion with an in-line ejectable booster and a long-burn sustainer.

The trials have met all the mission objectives.

The missile is developed by different labs of the DRDO including the Research Centre Imarat, the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, and the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory. The missiles are currently being produced by development-cum-production partners with the help of MSMEs, startups, and others.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has congratulated the DRDO, the Indian Navy and the industry partners for the successful flight tests. The tests for man-in-loop features are unique as they give the capability of in-flight retargeting, he added.

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