SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
Hyderabad-based VEM Technologies, a rising star in India’s private defense sector, has announced plans to develop the AsiBal-LR (Long Range), an enhanced variant of its third-generation AsiBal Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM). The company, which previously showcased the baseline AsiBal at Aero India 2023, is now pushing the boundaries of its indigenous missile technology by extending the range, boosting warhead penetration, and refining its guidance systems. The AsiBal-LR promises to deliver greater operational flexibility to the Indian Armed Forces, cementing VEM’s role in India’s quest for self-reliance under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
The announcement, made on the sidelines of ongoing defense discussions in Hyderabad, builds on VEM’s earlier success with the AsiBal—a man-portable, fire-and-forget ATGM designed to tackle modern armored threats. With the AsiBal-LR, VEM Technologies aims to address evolving battlefield requirements, offering a system that balances portability, precision, and enhanced lethality.
The AsiBal-LR extends the missile’s maximum range to 4,000 meters, a significant leap from the 2,500-meter reach of the baseline AsiBal. This 60% increase in range expands its tactical utility, enabling engagements at standoff distances that enhance operator safety and operational flexibility. The minimum range has also been adjusted to 500 meters, up from the baseline’s 200 meters, likely reflecting refinements in propulsion and guidance to optimize performance over longer distances.
Weighing in at 13.5 kilograms, the AsiBal-LR missile is just 1 kilogram heavier than its predecessor, maintaining its man-portable design. However, the total system weight, including the Fire Control Unit (FCU), rises to 24 kilograms—a 3-kilogram increase attributed to a more robust FCU. This heavier control unit likely incorporates upgraded electronics to support the extended range and improved targeting capabilities, ensuring seamless integration with the missile’s guidance system.
The warhead on the AsiBal-LR offers a penetration capability of 700 millimeters, surpassing the baseline’s 600 millimeters by 100 millimeters. This enhancement strengthens its effectiveness against modern tanks equipped with advanced armor, including explosive reactive armor (ERA), aligning it with global third-generation ATGM standards like the US Javelin or Israeli Spike.
Like the baseline AsiBal, the AsiBal-LR retains its dual-mode guidance system, combining Imaging Infrared (IIR) and Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) technologies. The IIR seeker ensures precision targeting in all weather conditions, day or night, by locking onto the thermal signature of targets. The CCD component enhances visual acquisition, making the missile versatile against both stationary and moving threats, such as tanks or armored personnel carriers. This fire-and-forget capability allows operators to launch and relocate immediately, reducing exposure to counterattacks—a critical feature in high-intensity conflicts.
VEM Technologies first introduced the AsiBal ATGM in 2022, with its public debut at Aero India 2023 in Bengaluru. The baseline AsiBal, weighing 12.5 kilograms (missile) and 18.5 kilograms (total system), features a tandem High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) warhead with a penetration range of 750–850 millimeters, according to earlier reports. Its successful ballistic trials and compact FCU have positioned it as a contender for Indian Army contracts, competing with the DRDO-developed Man-Portable ATGM (MPATGM). The AsiBal’s top-attack and direct-attack modes, coupled with an average velocity of 0.6 Mach, make it a versatile weapon against ERA-protected vehicles.
The AsiBal-LR appears to refine this foundation, trading a slight reduction in peak penetration (700 mm vs. the baseline’s potential 850 mm) for greater range and a more capable FCU. This suggests a strategic focus on engaging targets at safer distances, potentially prioritizing standoff capability over marginal penetration gains—an approach that could appeal to forces operating in open terrains like India’s desert or plateau regions.
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