HELINA

Description

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Context

India successfully flight-tested Helina, an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), in Pokhran.

About HELINA

HELINA (Helicopter based NAG) is a third generation fire and forget class anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system mounted on the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH).
Helina has been developed by Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad under the Missiles and Strategic Systems (MSS) cluster of the DRDO. Successful user trials of the missile have been conducted since 2018.
The system has all weather day and night capability and can defeat battle tanks with conventional armour as well as explosive reactive armour.
HELINA Weapon Systems is being inducted into the Indian Army (IA). A variant of HELINA Weapon System called DHRUVASTRA is being inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Helina has a maximum range of seven kilometers and has been designed and developed for integration on weaponized version of the ALH.
Helina can engage targets both in direct hit mode as well as top attack mode. In the top attack mode, the missile is required to climb sharply after launch and travel at a certain altitude and then plunge on the top of the target.
In the direct hit mode, the missile travels at a lower altitude, directly striking the target.

Trivia

The DRDO has designed and developed a range of anti-tank missile technologies that include the Nag, Helina MPATGM, SANT and Laser Guided ATGM for MBT Arjun.

Nag is a third-generation fire-and-forget missile developed for mechanized formations to engage heavily fortified enemy tanks. MPATGM stands for Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile which has a range of 2.5 kilometers, with fire-and-forget and top attack capabilities for infantry use.

SANT is a smart Stand-off Anti-Tank Missile being developed for launch from the Mi-35 Helicopter for the Air Force’s anti-tank operations. ATGM for MBT Arjun is a laser-guided, precision-guided munition which is launched from the 120mm rifled gun of the Arjun tank to engage and defeat Explosive Reactive Armour-protected armoured targets.

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-flight-test-anti-tank-guided-missile-helina-pokhran-7864499/