New Delhi:
The Indian Army has used Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs) to destroy several Pakistani military posts across the Line of Control (LoC), defence sources said this morning. This comes in retaliation for cross-border firing by Pakistani troops as tensions heightened between the two nations following a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam left 26 people dead.
What Is An Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM)?
An Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) is a weapon system designed to destroy heavily armoured vehicles, especially tanks. These missiles are “guided,” meaning they can be steered or locked onto a target, making it accurate compared to older anti-tank weapons.
They can be fired from the shoulder, from tripods, or from vehicles and aircraft. Their key advantage is that they allow soldiers to engage armoured threats from a safe distance.
How Do They Work?
Most ATGMs use something called a shaped charge. This is a special type of explosive that focuses all its power in one direction, strong enough to punch through thick tank armour.
Some modern ATGMs use tandem warheads. This means they have two explosions. The first blast hits and activates the tank’s outer protection, called explosive reactive armour (ERA). ERA is designed to stop missiles by exploding outward. The second blast follows right after and breaks through the tank’s main armour underneath.
ATGMs are built to work both during the day and at night, making them useful in all kinds of conditions. Some of them also have a ‘top-attack’ mode, which means they can hit the tank from above where they are most vulnerable.
Many modern ATGMs have something called a dual-mode seeker, which helps them find and follow their target more accurately.
Can An ATGM Be Stopped?
Some tanks use reactive armour, which are special plates that explode outward when hit, to stop the missile. Others use slat armour, which is a metal cage that can mess with the missile’s fuse and make it blow up early.
There are also systems that can jam the missile’s signals or confuse it with decoys.
Advanced tanks like Israel’s Merkava use a system called Trophy. It can spot incoming missiles and shoot them down before they hit. This kind of Active Protection System (APS) is light, fast, and smart.
Tanks can also use smoke, dust, or fast return fire to hide or destroy the missile operator before they can launch or guide the missile. This method was more common before today’s “fire-and-forget” missiles, which don’t need help after being launched.
Over 130 countries use ATGMs today, and they have been widely seen in conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war.
On the intervening night of Tuesday-Wednesday, India had launched aerial strikes on terror camps deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) under Operation Sindoor and then successfully thwarted Islamabad’s missile and drone attacks. Officials said at least 50 drones aimed at military installations in Jammu, Pathankot, and Udhampur were swiftly neutralised.
