India’s Indigenous Cruise Missile Goes Off Track During First Test Flight

India for the first time on Tuesday test-fired its indigenously developed medium range sub-sonic cruise missile 'Nirbhay' from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur. The missile has to be terminated halfway after it deviated from course about 20 minutes after its launch.

Once the missile went off its original trajectory, its engine was remotely shut down causing it to fall near the coast.

Developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment, a Defence Research and Development Organisation laboratory, the surface-to-surface missile has the capability of being launched from land, sea and air. It also has good loitering capability, good control and guidance, high degree of accuracy in terms of impact and very good stealth features.

It is highly maneuverable, can fly at tree-top level making it difficult to detect on radar, and strikes targets more than 700 km away carrying nuclear warheads, giving India the capability to strike deep into enemy territory.

Despite its failure, but the DRDO said the mission was successful. "The long range cruise missile Nirbhay was successfully launched today at 1150 hours from launch complex, Chandipur, Odisha,  meeting the basic mission objectives successfully. After travelling approximately mid-way, deviations were observed from its intended course. Further, flight was terminated to ensure coastal safety," it said in a statement.