India finally has a cruise missile -
the Nirbhay, which means fearless.
Its first test today failed with the
missile being blown up soon after
launch as it deviated from its flight
trajectory, but experts say many
maiden missile flights have not
been successful around the world,
including India's Agni, which later
saw much success.
Here are 10 must-know points
about India's Nirbhay:
1. It is a sub-sonic cruise
missile. It blasts off like a
rocket, but then unlike a
missile, it turns into an
aircraft. Unlike other
ballistic missiles like the
Agni, Nirbhay has wings
and pronounced tail fins.
2. In early flight after
launch, the rocket motor
falls off and the small
wings get deployed.
3. At this point a gas
turbine engine kicks in
and it becomes like a full
aircraft, explains P S
Krishnan, Director,
Aeronautical
Development
Establishment,
Bangalore.
4. The Nirbhay is very
manoeuvrable and can
fly at tree-top level
making it difficult to
detect on radar.
5. Once near the target, it
can even hover, striking
at will from any
direction.
6. It can strike targets
more than 700 km away
carrying nuclear
warheads, giving India
the capability to strike
deep into enemy
territory.
7. It gives India the
capacity to launch
different kinds of
payloads at different
ranges from various
platforms at a very low
cost. It can be launched
from a mobile launcher.
8. The missile has a fire-
and-forget system that
cannot be jammed.
9. It is India's answer to
America's Tomahawk
and Pakistan's Babur. The
US had deployed cruise
missiles very effectively
during the Gulf War.
10. India has made
tactical missiles of
different capacity, but
had made a cruise
missile. DRDO scientists,
including several
women, worked very
hard on the Nirbhay.
Sonia, an engineer on the
project told NDTV, "I am
not afraid of working on
missiles, I am so proud to
be working on this
missile project."
the Nirbhay, which means fearless.
Its first test today failed with the
missile being blown up soon after
launch as it deviated from its flight
trajectory, but experts say many
maiden missile flights have not
been successful around the world,
including India's Agni, which later
saw much success.
Here are 10 must-know points
about India's Nirbhay:
1. It is a sub-sonic cruise
missile. It blasts off like a
rocket, but then unlike a
missile, it turns into an
aircraft. Unlike other
ballistic missiles like the
Agni, Nirbhay has wings
and pronounced tail fins.
2. In early flight after
launch, the rocket motor
falls off and the small
wings get deployed.
3. At this point a gas
turbine engine kicks in
and it becomes like a full
aircraft, explains P S
Krishnan, Director,
Aeronautical
Development
Establishment,
Bangalore.
4. The Nirbhay is very
manoeuvrable and can
fly at tree-top level
making it difficult to
detect on radar.
5. Once near the target, it
can even hover, striking
at will from any
direction.
6. It can strike targets
more than 700 km away
carrying nuclear
warheads, giving India
the capability to strike
deep into enemy
territory.
7. It gives India the
capacity to launch
different kinds of
payloads at different
ranges from various
platforms at a very low
cost. It can be launched
from a mobile launcher.
8. The missile has a fire-
and-forget system that
cannot be jammed.
9. It is India's answer to
America's Tomahawk
and Pakistan's Babur. The
US had deployed cruise
missiles very effectively
during the Gulf War.
10. India has made
tactical missiles of
different capacity, but
had made a cruise
missile. DRDO scientists,
including several
women, worked very
hard on the Nirbhay.
Sonia, an engineer on the
project told NDTV, "I am
not afraid of working on
missiles, I am so proud to
be working on this
missile project."
