The Indian Army recently used anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) to target Pakistani army positions opposite Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara sector. The use of ATGM was a direct retaliation against Pakistan Army’s ceasefire violations aimed at pushing terrorists across the Line of Control (LoC), as per the ANI
Indian Army sources: Indian Army troops recently used Anti-Tank Guided Missiles&artillery shells to target Pakistan Army positions opposite Kupwara sector (J&K). Indian Army action was in response to frequent ceasefire violations by Pakistan to push infiltrators into J&K.
— ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2020
#WATCH Indian Army Sources: Army troops recently used anti-tank guided missiles & artillery shells to target Pakistan Army positions opposite the Kupwara sector. This was in response to frequent ceasefire violations by Pakistan to push infiltrators into Indian territory in J&K. pic.twitter.com/oHuglG0iQL
— ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2020
Earlier, as EurAsian Times reported, the Indian Army deployedIsraeli-made Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Spike medium-range (MR) anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir to boost the service’s strike capabilities.
Spike is fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile and anti-personnel missile with a tandem-charge HEAT warhead and is designed by the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
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The Indian government approved the import of 240 Spike ATGMs and 12 launchers as part of an “emergency purchase” to meet immediate operational requirements.
The decision to buy the third-generation fire-and-forget weapon system fitted with a tandem-charge high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead and featuring an operational range of up to 4 kilometers was taken at the biannual Army Commanders’ Conference in Delhi in April 2019.
“Post the February 2019 skirmishes between India and Pakistan after the Balakot airstrikes, the Indian Army’s vice chief of staff has been given authority, as reported by the EurAsian Times, to acquire goods and materiel worth up to $72 million without prior approval from the Indian Ministry of Defense (MoD) under an emergency purchase provision.”
The “first batch” of 210 Spike ATGMs and a dozen launchers “arrived in India about ten days ago,” the Times of India reported on October 4, citing an Indian defence official.
The Spike ATGM can penetrate around one meter of armour and can be operated in either “direct attack or mid-course navigation based on target coordinates only,” facilitating defeat of long-range hidden targets with pinpoint accuracy, damage estimation and real-time intelligence.
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The ATGM – which can be fired from vehicles, helicopters, ships and ground launchers – features advanced optical seekers, smart target trackers and various artificial intelligence features. Rafael has supplied more than 27,000 Spike missiles and systems to over 26 countries, including to the Philippines, Lithuania, Australia and India.
