The indigenous Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) project is approaching its concluding stages prior to joining the Indian armed forces.
Designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), this advanced weapon successfully demonstrated its top-attack capabilities against moving targets during a recent test on January 11, 2026, at the KK Ranges in Ahilya Nagar (formerly Ahmednagar), Maharashtra.
Following this critical achievement, the system is now undergoing its ultimate user trials under severe battlefield conditions.
Insiders report that the weapon is currently facing rigorous operational evaluations across diverse landscapes, including the harsh deserts and the high-altitude terrains of Ladakh.
These challenging assessments are essential to guarantee the missile's reliability for Indian Army infantry battalions.
Should these concluding tests meet all military benchmarks, formal manufacturing clearance is projected to be awarded within a year, enabling mass production to commence.
Upon receiving the green light, full-scale manufacturing will be spearheaded by state-run Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), alongside public-sector partner Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and private defence firm VEM Technologies.
The first substantial batches of these locally built missiles are anticipated to reach ground forces by early 2027, drastically improving the infantry's firepower against hostile armoured units.
The January 2026 test marked a vital breakthrough for India's domestic defence sector.
While previous evaluations confirmed the basics of propulsion and stationary targeting, this latest trial validated the missile's devastating top-attack trajectory against mobile threats.
In a top-attack profile, the missile arcs upward post-launch and plunges directly onto the roof of an enemy tank.
Because the upper surface of a main battle tank is notably weaker than its front or side plating, this method is exceptionally destructive.
Furthermore, effectively tracking a moving tank from above highlights the sophisticated nature of the missile’s Imaging Infrared (IIR) seeker, which maintains a relentless lock on moving targets regardless of day or night conditions.
Categorised as a third-generation "fire-and-forget" anti-armour weapon, the MPATGM operates with significant autonomy.
Once the soldier pulls the trigger, the onboard thermal seeker takes complete control, guiding the 1.34-metre-long missile directly to the target.
This critical feature allows the operator to instantly seek cover or shift positions, vastly increasing their chances of survival in intense combat scenarios compared to older, manual-guidance systems.
Engineered for maximum mobility, the entire setup is exceptionally lightweight, totalling under 30 kilograms.
The missile itself weighs 14.5 kilograms and measures 120 millimetres in diameter, while the command launch unit is just over 14.25 kilograms.
Designed for a "soft launch" from a tripod canister using an ejection motor—though it can also be adapted for military vehicles—this compact profile ensures that small, forward-deployed infantry squads can easily transport and operate the weapon in rugged conflict zones.
Boasting an impressive engagement range, the MPATGM can strike targets as close as 200 metres and as far away as 4,000 metres.
The missile flies for a maximum duration of approximately 17 seconds to deliver its lethal payload.
It is armed with an advanced tandem High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) warhead engineered specifically to destroy modern battle tanks shielded by Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA).
The tandem design functions in two steps: a precursor charge strips away the reactive plating, allowing the primary charge to blast through more than 650 millimetres of the underlying Rolled Homogeneous Armour (RHA).
The successful rollout of this indigenous missile is a monumental step for the Indian Army, which urgently needs to phase out its ageing second-generation anti-tank arsenals.
Current wire-guided legacy weapons, such as the Soviet-designed 9M113 Konkurs and the French MILAN, force the gunner to remain stationary and exposed to enemy crossfire in order to guide the missile all the way to its target.
The MPATGM's modern fire-and-forget technology will eliminate this hazardous requirement, ensuring that frontline troops benefit from superior lethality without sacrificing their safety.
