India on Monday successfully flight-tested its indigenous Nirbhay (the fearless) sub-sonic cruise missile

NEW DELHI: India on Monday successfully flight-tested its indigenous Nirbhay (the fearless) sub-sonic cruise missile , which can carry nuclear warheads to a strike range of 1,000-km, from the integrated test range at Chandipur off the Odisha coast on Monday.

The Nirbhay, which is touted to be India’s answer to the US Tomahawk missiles and an effective counter to Pakistan ’s Babur land-attack cruise missile (LACM), has been in the development stage for over a decade. At least three of its six tests till now have failed.

On Monday, the DRDO said the test of the missile, which demonstrated its sea-skimming capability to cruise at very low altitudes, was successful in meeting all its mission objectives.

After the initial blast-off with a solid-propellant booster rocket engine to gain speed and altitude, Nirbhay is designed to deploy its smallish wings and tail fins in the second-stage and fly like an unmanned aircraft.

The missile is highly maneuverable with “loitering capabilities” to first identify and then hit the intended target with precision.

Indian armed forces have for long been demanding nuclear-tipped LACMs, with ranges over 1,000-km and versatile enough to be fired from land, air and sea.

