“The missile was launched from a man-portable Tripod launcher and the target was mimicking a functional tank. The missile hit the target in top attack mode and destroyed it with precision. All the mission objectives were met”, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated.
Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh has congratulated @DRDO_India for the successful test of Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) pic.twitter.com/qgDqWoOLP6
— रक्षा मंत्री कार्यालय/ RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) September 11, 2019
The minister also announced that the test “paved the way for induction” of the missile into the military, indicating that the Indian Army is unlikely to purchase Israeli Spike-MRs in the near future.
Last year, the Indian government scrapped a $500 million deal for the Israeli Spike-MR and decided to go ahead with producing its own MPATGM instead.
The decision was made despite the fact that the Indian Army headquarters had underscored the operational urgency of the equipment, arguing that the Spike would give "a major capability impetus" to troops deployed along the Line of Control (LC) and the northern border, especially in the current operational scenario.
