Bengaluru: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), on Wednesday, successfully testfired Laser-Guided Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) from the main battle tank (MBT) Arjun. The test was conducted at the KK Ranges in Ahmednagar, which houses the Indian Army's Armoured Corps Centre and School (ACC&S). DRDO said that in these tests, ATGM successfully defeated a target at 3 km. 

"The missile employs a tandem HEAT warhead to defeat Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA) protected armoured vehicles. It has been developed with multiple-platform launch capability and is currently undergoing technical evaluation trials from a gun of MBT Arjun," DRDO said.

Developed under the Cannon Launched Missile Development Programme by Pune-based Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), a premier defence research laboratory for weapons-development, the missile is designed to destroy modern as well as future enemy battle tanks. Designed to be launched from the Arjun tank gun, the missile's head provides it with the guidance to actively engage a moving target, including low-flying helicopters.

Rajnath Singh congratulates DRDO for reducing import-dependency

The development may be viewed on the backdrop of the government's push for Make in India. Taking to Twitter, Defence minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO for 'reducing import-dependency' of the armed forces. 

"Congratulations to 
@DRDO_India  for successfully conducting a test firing of Laser-Guided Anti Tank Guided Missile from MBT Arjun at KK Ranges (ACC&S) in Ahmednagar. India is proud of Team DRDO which is assiduously working towards reducing import dependency in the near future," he said in a tweet.