Indian AF Says New Indigenous Missile Will Be Too Heavy

The 60-kilometer-range NGARM, developed by state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), will undertake flight trials in after three months but Indian Air Force (IAF) officials say IAF says the missile is too bulky. is will not be proven successful.

DRDO is developing NGARM for the service's Mirage-2000H, Jaguar, Su-30 MKI and the upcoming Light Combat Aircraft. (LCA) fighters with the IAF.

"NGARM being developed by DRDO weighs around 140 kilograms and is too heavy, whereas IAF wants only such missiles that do which does not weigh over 100 kilograms; and this one will not meet our requirement," said a senior Air Force IAF official.

"DRDO has never kept us in the loop about this missile, and we are not sure if we will at all use it," the IAF official said, adding, that "infrared(RF) radiation seeker technology from Russia will make it too bulky."

However, one DRDO scientist said the missile should is being developed to meet all Air Force IAF fighter requirements: and "We will make sure it is proven successful."

He claimed that NGARM is largely an indigenous missile. But one source in DRDO source said the agency could not  we cannot develop the missile on its our own and that DRDO has actually sought help from Russia for complete seeker technology.

NGARM's The broadband seeker of NGRAM is able to pick capable of picking up radiation or signals emitted by radars and communication systems, home onto the target and destroy the network.

DRDO scientists will undertake ground testing of NGARM next month and by June two prototypes will be ready for captive flight trials on Su-30 MKI aircraft to validate for validating its performance for missile's seeker, structural integrity, navigation and control system, and aerodynamic capability, officials said.

NGARM is a single-stage, solid-fueled propelled system and it is expected to be ready for induction in the next three years. It and will be produced jointly by state-owned Bharat Dynamics Ltd. (BDL) and Bharat Electronics. Ltd. (BEL).

NGARM will carry sensors and an RF seeker in its head, system and a fixed antenna on its nose to detect a radar by tracking its electro-magnetic radiation. and will be capable to destroy enemy targets.

Currently the Air Force equips its Su-30 MKI fighters with the IAF is using Russian Kh 35 missile, and uses the for SU-30 MKI and French Martel anti-radiation missile on its of Jaguar and Mirage -2000H aircraft.

The Air Force also IAF is also negotiating to buy AGM 88 missiles from the US nited States and plans to induct more than over 1,500 such missiles in the next five years.

Alongside NGARM, DRDO is also planning to develop a ground-based anti-radiation missile to be launched from a mobile launcher but no details have been are made public.