After laser-guided anti-tank missile, India successfully tests new version of Shaurya Missile

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New Delhi: Amid the ongoing border dispute with China, India successfully tested a new version of the nuclear-capable Shaurya missile off the coast of Odisha on Saturday (October 03, 2020).

The new version of the missile will be inducted in the strategic forces to complement one of the existing missiles in the same class, top government sources told ANI.

The missile would be lighter and easier to operate in comparison with the existing missile and can strike targets at around 800 kms. In the last phase while moving close to its target, the missile moves at hypersonic speeds.

This comes just days after India successfully tested an indigenously developed laser-guided anti-tank guided missile in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar on Tuesday. It was the second such successful test firing of the missile in the last 10 days. The missile has a range of up to 5 kms.

The missile was fired from an MBT Arjun Tank at KK Ranges in Armoured Corps Centre and School (ACC&S) in Ahmednagar.

“The ATGM employs a tandem heat warhead to defeat explosive reactive armour (ERA) protected armoured vehicles in ranges from 1.5-5 km,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

Recently, India also successfully testfired the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile which can hit targets at over 400 km strike range which is at least more than 100 kms from the previous capability of the missile. 

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been working towards completing total self-reliance in the field of strategic missiles and has enhanced its efforts further under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat call by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this year.