New Delhi: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has concluded successful developmental trials of its domestically developed Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) system in Rajasthan’s Pokhran.

“Man Portable Anti-tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) Weapon System, indigenously designed and developed by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), has been field evaluated in different flight configurations several times with the objective of proving the technology with high superiority,” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Sunday.

Comprising the missile, launcher, targeting system, and fire control unit, the MPATGM underwent rigorous testing to demonstrate its efficacy across different scenarios, meeting the specifications outlined by the Indian Army.

Adequate number of missile firing trials have been successfully conducted towards achieving compliance of complete operational envelop as stipulated in the General Staff Qualitative Requirements (Infantry, Indian Army), the ministry said.

“The Warhead Flight Trials were successfully conducted at the Pokhran Field Firing Range, Rajasthan on April 13, 2024. Missile performance and warhead performance were found to be remarkable,” said the statement.

Recent assessments particularly emphasised the warhead's performance, which showcased "noteworthy" outcomes against contemporary tanks.

Moreover, the MPATGM boasts versatility, enabling day or night operations and precision strikes from elevated positions.

“Penetration trials of the Tandem Warhead System of MPATGM have been successfully completed and it is found capable of defeating modern armour protected Main Battle Tank. The ATGM system is well-equipped with day/night and top attack capability. Dual mode seeker functionality is a great value addition to the missile capability for tank warfare,” the Defence Ministry said, highlighting the features of the system.

“With this, technology development and successful demonstration have been concluded and the system is now ready for Final User Evaluation Trials leading towards its induction into the Indian Army,” the ministry added.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented the DRDO and the Indian Army for the successful trials of the system, terming it as an important step towards achieving self-reliance in advanced technology-based defence system development.

Defence R&D Secretary and DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V Kamat also congratulated the teams associated with the trials.