The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has reached a significant milestone by successfully testing the indigenous NAG MK-2 Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) from the Zorawar light tank.
The test, held on October 17, 2025, was a watershed point in India’s efforts to improve its light armour capabilities through indigenous innovation and improved weapon integration.
The test confirmed the missile’s exceptional precision, including direct hits on target and impressive top-attack accuracy. The NAG MK-2 is an enhanced version of DRDO’s successful Nag missile series, with a fire-and-forget seeker, greater penetration capability, and an effective engagement envelope ranging from 4 to 10 kilometers.
The trial evaluated performance across all operating parameters, including speed, terminal guidance, and precision, ensuring full conformity with user requirements.
The Zorawar, developed jointly by DRDO’s Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) in Chennai and Larsen & Toubro under the “Make-I” category, is designed for mountain and riverine warfare.
Weighing less than 25 tons, it enjoys great mobility at high altitudes, particularly in Eastern Ladakh, where bigger tanks like the T-72 and T-90 have limitations. The platform has a John Cockerill 3000-series turret with a 105 mm high-pressure cannon and stabilized day-night sights, as well as a turret-mounted NAG MK-2 ATGM, which provides a balanced mix of direct-fire and stand-off accuracy capability.
The test highlighted the Zorawar’s importance in the rapidly expanding mountain warfare strategy. The NAG MK-2’s autonomous, top-attack design allows the tank to target adversary armor from covered defilade positions, significantly decreasing operator exposure. In contrast to conventional gun-launched missile designs, this system provides an autonomous, self-guided striking mechanism that is appropriate for high-altitude warfare circumstances.
The Zorawar tank is powered by a Cummins VTA903E-T760 diesel engine with roughly 760 horsepower and a RENK HMPT-800 automatic transmission. This design generates around 30 horsepower per ton, resulting in improved mobility and agility in hilly or difficult terrain.
Hydro-pneumatic suspension and modular architecture provide operational flexibility and reliability in harsh conditions.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO and its partners on this accomplishment, underscoring the collaboration between India’s public and commercial sectors in developing high-performance indigenous systems. He noted that the test not only confirms India’s increasing self-reliance in complex systems integration, but it also improves the country’s deterrence posture along its northern frontiers.
The Zorawar project, conceived following the 2020 Galwan Valley battle, has progressed quickly from concept to live shooting in just over three years.
The program seeks to introduce around 354 light tanks by 2027, with the first 59 units being produced through DRDO’s collaboration with Larsen and Toubro. Efforts are underway to improve indigenous content further, including the localization of turret systems, propulsion units, and survival features.
The successful NAG MK-2 fire turns the Zorawar from a mobility-focused platform to a precision-strike asset capable of shifting tactical balances along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Its capacity to combine speed, mobility, and autonomous long-range lethality marks a watershed moment in India’s transition to a self-sufficient and modernized armoured force.
