India on Wednesday flight-tested its first indigenously-developed long-range subsonic cruise missile Nirbhay from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur near here at round 11.56 am. The missile of its kind, under the developmental trail, was put on test by the DRDO for the fourth time after not achieving desired and consistent result in the previous tests.
However, Wednesday’s test’s outcome was not known.
The unique feature of the six-metre tall, low-altitude flying missile is it can evade detection by radars.
The Nirbhay has good loitering capability, good control and guidance, high degree of accuracy in terms of impact and very good stealth features and is equivalent of Tomahawk, a long-range, subsonic cruise missile developed by the US.
India felt the need for developing a subsonic cruise missile with a long range, and the upshot is the Nirbhay.
The Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a DRDO facility in Bangalore, has designed the Nirbhay. It is a two-stage, surface-to-surface missile. While a booster engine would kick the first stage from the ground, the second stage has a turbo-prop engine akin to an aircraft’s. It can carry multiple payloads and engage several targets.
Even if there are multiple targets, it can pick out a target and attack it. It is a loitering missile; it can go round and round a target, perform several manoeuvres and take it apart. It has precision, endurance and accuracy.
Four versions of Nirbhay — land, ship, air and submarine — would be developed; and for the first land attack cruise missile, the DRDO has been on the job, sources said.