MPATGM Weapon System: Man Portable Anti-tank Guided Missile

About Defence Research & Development Organisation

• Establishment: It is the R&D wing of the Ministry of Defence, formed in 1958 from the amalgamation of the Technical Development Establishment (TDEs) of the Indian Army and the Directorate of Technical Development & Production (DTDP) with the Defence Science Organisation (DSO). 
• Vision: To empower India with cutting-edge defence technologies. 
• Mission: 
• • To achieve self-reliance in critical defence technologies and systems. 
  • Equipping armed forces with state-of-the-art weapon systems and equipment in accordance with requirements laid down by the three Services. 

About Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs)

• ATGMs are primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armored military vehicles.
• The missiles can be transported by a single soldier, to larger tripod-mounted weapons, which require a squad or team to transport and fire, to vehicle and aircraft mounted missile systems.
• These are ‘fire-and-forget’ missiles where the operator can retreat right after firing as there is no more guidance required.

About Man Portable Anti-tank Guided Missile (MPATGM)

• It is an indigenously developed low weight, fire and forgets missile.
• It is ‘Soft’ launched from a canister using an Ejection Motor. It uses a state-of-the-art Imaging Infra-Red (IIR) Seeker system for homing on to the target.
  • IIR Seeker systems have been successfully flight tested in Anti-Tank Guided Missiles Nag, HELINA and MPATGM. IIR Seekers have also been successfully demonstrated in the Exo-Atmospheric Interceptor PDV and Anti Satellite Test (ASAT), Mission Shakti.

• It uses the infrared light emission from a target to track and follow it. 
  • Missiles that use infrared seeking are known as “heat-seekers” since infrared is radiated strongly by hot bodies.
• This missile is for infantry and Parachute (Special Forces) of the Indian Army.