NAMICA and Dhruvastra (HELINA)

NAMICA (Nag Missile Carrier) is the tracked, amphibious armoured vehicle developed to carry and launch the DRDO Nag anti-tank guided missile, while Dhruvastra (designated HELINA — HELicopter-launched NAg — by the Indian Army) is the air-launched variant of the same missile family, integrated on the HAL Rudra and Prachand attack helicopters.^[1]

NAMICA — Ground-Launched Platform

NAMICA is based on the BMP-2 Sarath infantry combat vehicle chassis, modified to carry and fire the Nag third-generation, fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile. Up to eight ready-to-fire missiles can be carried in two quadruple armoured box launchers, with each launcher capable of firing four missiles within one minute, giving Indian mechanised infantry an organic, armoured anti-tank capability able to keep pace with manoeuvre formations.^[2]

Dhruvastra / HELINA — Helicopter-Launched Variant

Dhruvastra/HELINA is a third-generation, fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile capable of engaging both static and moving armoured targets in all-weather day/night conditions, flying at speeds of roughly 230 m/s. The ground-launched (NAMICA) version has a range of about 4 km, while the helicopter-launched HELINA/Dhruvastra variant extends this to roughly 7 km. The missile can engage targets in both direct-hit and top-attack modes, using an imaging infrared (IIR) seeker with 640×512 pixel resolution for high-precision terminal guidance. HELINA is the Indian Army’s designation for the missile as integrated on the Rudra and Prachand helicopters, while Dhruvastra is the Indian Air Force’s naming convention for its configuration of the same weapon.^[1][3]

Specifications

Sources

1. Zee News, “Dhruvastra, helicopter-launched Nag Missile, test-fired successfully; Check key features.”
2. GlobalSecurity.org, “Nag (Cobra) Dhruvastra / HeliNa anti-tank missile.”
3. Drishti IAS, “Helina and Dhruvastra: Anti-tank Guided Missile.”