Following a failed test in December 2015, India today successfully test fired it's indigenous subsonic cruise missile Nirbhay. The errors that lead to the fourth trial in December, were rectified prior to today's test fire of the first indigenously developed long-range cruise missile that can be deployed on various platforms. The test fire was conducted at an integrated test range, Chandipur, Odisha.
With a capacity to cruise at 0.7 Mach and altitudes as low as 100 meters, the test completed all its missions successfully, improving the morale of the scientists. All critical operations including launch phase, booster deploying, engine start and wing deploying were demonstrated by the missile through autonomous waypoint navigation. The control and navigation of the missile are configured around the ring laser gyroscope and MEMS-based inertial navigation system, Besides GPS.
Nirbhay cruised for 50 minutes, and achieving a range of 647 kilometers, and was tracked with ground radars and parameters monitored by DRDO developed telemetry stations. Witnessed by DRDO chairman S Christopher, and DG Ramanarayanan, the team of DRDO officials were congratulated by defense minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
The first test of the 750-1000 km range missile in March 2013, failed after it fell in just 20 minutes of flight. The second test in October 2014 was successful, and the 3rd test witnessed the missile nose diving post coverage of 128 km of Bay of Bengal.
