Pune: The successful test flight of ‘Nirbhay’, India’s first indigenously designed and developed long-range sub-sonic cruise missile, which can carry 300 kg warhead and be deployed from multiple platforms, has a Pune connection. Three city-based laboratories of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) played an important role in the development of the missile.
This was the fifth experimental test of the homegrown cruise missile system. Out of four earlier trials since its maiden launch in 2013, only one was successful.
The success was also celebrated by scientists and employees of High Energy Material Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Sutarwadi, Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Pashan, and Research and Development Establishment (Engineers), R&DE(E) based in Vishrantwadi.
Officials said that HEMRL is associated with the development of the initial booster system that launches the missile as it separates it from the canister. The ARDE has developed the warhead of the missile while R&DE(E) has designed and developed the special launcher for the missile.
The Ministry of Defence stated, “Nirbhay was successfully test fired from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha. The missile has the capability to loiter and cruise at 0.7 Mach, at altitudes as low as 100 m. The flight test achieved all the mission objectives completely from lift-off till the final splash, boosting the confidence of all scientists associated with the trial. The missile took off in a programmed manner and all critical operations viz launch phase, booster deployment, engine start, wing deployment and other operational parameters demonstrated through autonomous waypoint navigation. The guidance, control and navigation system of the missile is configured around the indigenously designed Ring Laser Gyroscope and MEMS-based Inertial Navigation System along with GPS system. The missile majestically cruised for a total time duration of 50 minutes, achieving the range of 647 km. The missile was tracked with the help of ground-based radars and other parameters were monitored by telemetry stations developed by DRDO.”
