‘Nirbhay’ Missile Set for Test-Firing Next Month

It's official. The 'fearless' missile is ready to be test-fired. If the United States has the Tomahawk, India will have its 'Nirbhay', the 1,000-km range subsonic cruise missile, which will be test-fired for the first time next month.

The project has somewhat remained a secretive mission with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which has hardly made information pertaining to the development of the missile public. The strength and the capabilities of the missile, which has been developed by the Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), Hyderabad, will be on display when it will be test-fired from the Wheeler Island in October. Last month, a review of the project was done in Bangalore by DRDO officials who were 'satisfied' with the development of the missile.

DRDO director general V K Saraswat told TOI that the missile with a turbo jet is now ready to be test-fired. "It is a highly advanced missile with strong capabilities. We have made an assessment of it and we are almost prepared for a test launch," Saraswat said. According to DRDO sources, the stealth missile can cruise even at a 30-meter height from the surface. More importantly, it will also have a loitering capability. After it has been fired, it is possible to change the direction of the missile to hit the target that has been identified.

Buoyed by the success of Agni-V, the inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of carrying nuclear warheads, on April 19 this year, defence scientists are now moving fast on delivering 'Nirbhay.' The Indian scientists have been working with the missile project for more than seven years now. Though it was announced earlier that the test-firing of the missile would take place this year, but it was only in August that the country's top defence scientists, who took stock of the project, decided that 'Nirbhay' was ready for a test launch.