India's first home-grown cruise missile Nirbhay test-fired from Odisha

Balasore, Oct 17: India's potent nuclear-capable cruise

'Nirbhay' was test fired today from the Integrated Missile Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha.

Nirbhay, which means 'fearless', is a state-of-the-art missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). DRDO took up the challenge to conduct the test-fire in Odisha, which is still recovering from the devastations caused by Cyclone Hudhud.

This is Nirbhay's second launch, the first being terminated mid-way on 12 March 2013 owing to a technical snag. Nirbhay, with an expected strike range of 800-1000 km, is the first missile being made completely in Bangalore.

Nirbhay, which is a sub-sonic cruise missile, is manoeuvrable and can fly at a height which helps it to be hardly detectable on radars. It strikes targets more than 700 km away, carrying nuclear warheads. Nirbhay, which is India's first home-grown subsonic cruise missile, is regarded as India's answer to Pakistan's Babur.

The US had deployed cruise missiles very effectively during the Gulf War.India had not made a cruise missile till now and Nirbhay is a feather on the cap of DRDO which put in so much effort to develop it. However, India has made tactical missiles of different capacity.

Nirbhay has a wing and pronounced tail fins and it launches like a missile. It flies like an aircraft and can even hover near the target and can strike from any direction. After India's own satellite navigation fleet is fully deployed, all cruise missiles will be able to use signals from the country's space system.

Oneindia News