India Successfully Test Fires SANT Missile

News Desk

On October 19, 2020, India successfully test fired the Stand-Off Anti-Tank Missile called SANT. It was developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization for the Indian Air Force. The missile was test fired at Chandipur test range in the coast of Odisha. This missile will have both Lock-on After Launch and Lock-on Before Launch capabilities.

SANT missile is a variant of Nag missile. The other variants of Nag missile are Helina (or Dhruvastra) and MP-ATGM. SANT is an upgraded version of HELINA. It was successfully tested in Pokhran in November 2018. This upgraded version of the Nag Missile has a nose-mounted active radar homing seeker with an extended range of 15 to 20 km. HELINA is usually referred to as upgraded SANT.

The test came a day after a successful test of the naval version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was conducted. The missile was test-fired from an indigenously-developed stealth destroyer, INS Chennai of the Indian Navy in the Arabian Sea. The missile hit the target with pin-point accuracy and also performed “extremely complex” manoeuvres before taking out the target.

“BrahMos as ‘prime strike weapon’ will ensure the warship’s invincibility by engaging naval surface targets at long ranges, thus making the destroyer another lethal platform of Indian Navy,” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

The missile has been developed by BrahMos Aerospace, which is a joint venture between India and Russia. The JV has developed / is developing the supersonic cruise missile which can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or from land platforms.

In the last few weeks, India has test-fired several missiles, including a new version of the surface-to-surface supersonic cruise missile BrahMos and anti-radiation missile Rudram-1. Of all the missile test fires, the missile test of Nirbhay was a failure. Laser-guided anti-tank guided missile and nuclear-capable hypersonic missile ‘Shaurya’ were also test-fired. All these tests have been conducted at a time when India has been involved in a bitter border dispute with China in eastern Ladakh.

The recently conducted missile test fires are as follows

• RUDRAM anti-radiation missile
• A new version of shaurya missile
• LASER guided anti-tank missile
• Brahmos missile with an indigenous booster
• Prithvi II missile
• Test fire of RUSTOM II
• TORPEDO SMART
• Flight test of ABHYAS
• Test fire of Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle
• Flight Test of Naval Version of BRAHMOS
• Test fire of PRITHVI II

India has been frequently conducting missile test fires and military exercises in the Indian Ocean Region. This is to counter Chinese plans of influencing Indian Ocean Region. India expects that China might take the same move as that of Ladakh in the Indian Ocean Region. Thus, India is sending continuous signals that it is prepared and has secured its maritime boundaries. India also has gained international support towards “free and open Indo-Pacific”. The countries supporting India’s actions in the Indian Ocean towards “free and open Indo-Pacific” are USA, Australia, Japan, Vietnam. France and Germany have also joined the Indo-Pacific club by taking a strategy towards region.