Indigenous Stand-Off Anti-Tank Missile

• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Air Force (IAF) on Saturday tested the indigenously designed and developed Stand-off Anti-tank (SANT) missile from Pokhran ranges.
• The flight-test was successful in meeting all its mission objectives.
• The release mechanism, advanced guidance and tracking algorithms, all avionics with integrated software, performed satisfactorily and tracking systems monitored all mission events.

About Stand-Off Anti-Tank missile

• The SANT missile is equipped with a state-of-the-art millimetre wave (MMW) seeker which provides high precision strike capability from a safe distance.
• The weapon can neutralise targets in a range up to 10 kms.
• The MMW seeker can realize target detection under all weather conditions, the performance of which directly determines the design of the control algorithms.
• The missile has been designed and developed by Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad in coordination with other DRDO labs and participation from industries.
• This is the third in the series of indigenous stand-off weapons to be tested in recent times after long-range bomb and smart anti airfield weapons for strengthening the arsenal of IAF.
• The indigenous development of various configurations for different applications with advanced technologies is a firm march towards 'Aatmanirbharta' in defence.

Research Centre Imarat

• RCI is a DRDO laboratory located in Hyderabad, Telangana.
• The lab is responsible for Research and Development of Missile Systems, Guided Weapons and advanced Avionics for Indian Armed Forces.
• It was established by APJ Abdul Kalam in 1988.
• It is currently headed by U Raja Babu.