MBDA awaits Indian nod for trials of anti-tank missile

Naples, Italy: European missile making consortium MBDA has said the field evaluation trials of its Pars 3 LR fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) is slated to get underway soon. The ATGM has been shortlisted alongside Rafael Advanced Defence System's Spike-ER for the Indian Army's weaponised Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) 'Rudra.'

''We are waiting for the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to give us the schedule for trials. Hopefully, the dates will be finalised soon,'' MBDA's Peter Meuthen told a group of Indian journalists at the company's facility at Fusaro, north of Naples, Italy.

MBDA is a four-nation European missile making consortium which is eyeing a strategic partnership with India in defence development and production.

Besides jointly developing a short-range surface-to-air missile (SR-SAM) with India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), it has also offered nearly a dozen tactical weapon systems for deployment with the Indian armed forces.

The Pars 3 LR, Meuthen said, is a high precision weapon system with a broad target spectrum. ''It is highly effective against mobile and stationary targets equipped with latest armour protection, field fortresses and bunkers, besides other high-value targets,'' he said.

Pars 3 LR boasts a maximum operational range of seven kilometres and is said to possess high resistance to jamming.