Helina: Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) has received a new order worth ₹1,347.71 crore from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The company said the bigger part of the deal is ₹1,109.37 crore for Helina launchers and LRUs, while ₹238.34 crore is for CMDS LRUs. BDL also said the work will be carried out over 24 to 60 months and it did not share more contract details because of national security reasons.
What is Helina?
Helina is DRDO’s helicopter-launched version of the Nag missile. In very simple words, it is a smart anti-tank missile that the crew can lock on to before firing. It is called a third-generation, “fire-and-forget” missile because after launch it does the guiding on its own. DRDO says the system can hit targets in direct-hit mode as well as top-attack mode. The Air Force version is called Dhruvastra, and there is also a soldier-fired ATGM version.
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Helina is made to work from the Advanced Light Helicopter, or ALH. BDL’s product brochure says the helicopter can carry two twin launchers, one on each side, with eight missiles in total. The missile uses a high-resolution imaging infrared seeker. That means it looks for heat and tracks the target. BDL lists the range as 500 m minimum and 7,000 m maximum. It also says the missile can work in bad weather and can detect and follow targets automatically.
How it helps in battle?
Helina rises after launch and then drops down on the target. This is useful because the top of a tank is usually its weakest part. The missile is meant to hit heavy armoured vehicles with normal armour or explosive reactive armour. It can also be used against convoys and reinforced bunkers. Since it guides itself after lock-on, the helicopter does not need to keep steering it, which helps the crew move away and stay safer from enemy fire. The missile is also useful in mountain areas where long-range strikes are needed from a safe distance.
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CMDS
The same HAL order also includes Counter Measure Dispensing System LRUs. BDL says CMDS is an airborne defensive system that protects aircraft from radar-guided and IR-seeking missiles by releasing chaff and flares. In simple words, it throws out decoys so enemy missiles get confused.
