DRDO Aborts 800km Nirbhay Cruise Missile Test after Launch

India’s state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) aborted 800km-range Nirbhay cruise missile minutes after its launch on Monday.

“The missile was fired at 10.30 am from the (Odisha) testing facility. But the missile developed a snag and the trial was aborted 8 minutes later,” a government official was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

The subsonic missile fired from Odisha’s test facility. Nirbhay was the 10th missile to be fired by the DRDO during the last 35 days.

Some Nirbhay missiles were earlier moved to the border with China. Mondy’s tests were conducted as part of an effort by the DRDO to expedite development of missiles along the LAC amid the stand-off with China at multiple points in East Ladakh.

“Scientists needed to analyse the data generated during the tests to figure the tweaks that may be needed to be carried out,” officials said.

India is said to be working on an Anti-Ship Missile and Air-Launched Cruise Missile.

Powered by a solid rocket motor booster developed by the Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), the Nirbhay has an operational range of 1000 km.

Nirbhay missile can travel with a turbofan or turbojet engine and is guided by a highly advanced inertial navigation system indigenously developed by the Research Centre Imarat (RCI). 

The two-stage missile is 6 metre long, 0.52 metre wide with a wing span of 2.7 metre. It can carry a warhead of 200 kg to 300 kg at a speed of 0.6 to 0.7 Mach. Its launch weight is about 1500 kg.