The long-range Nirbhay Cruise missile was successfully test-fired off the coast of Odisha on April 18, 2024. The missile known as Indigenous technology Cruise Missiles (ITCM) is equipped with an indigenous propulsion system and the Manik turbofan engine. The missile is developed by the Bengaluru based Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE).
The test was conducted by the DRDO from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur off the coast of Odisha. This successful flight test also established the reliable performance of the indigenous propulsion systems developed by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) in Bengaluru.
During the test, all subsystems of the weapon performed as per expectations. The missile performance was monitored by the several range sensors like Radar, Electro-Optical Tracking System (EOTS) and Telemetry deployed by the ITR at different locations to ensure complete coverage of the flight path.
The missile followed the desired path using waypoint navigation and demonstrated very low altitude sea skimming flight. The flight of the missile was also monitored by the IAF Su-30MKI aircraft. The missile is equipped with advanced avionics and software to ensure better and reliable performance.
The supersonic weapon has been developed by the Bengaluru based DRDO laboratory ADE with contributions from other labs and indigenous industries. The test was witnessed by many senior scientists from various DRDO Labs dotted across the country along with representatives from production partners.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO for the successful flight test of the ITCM and stated that successful development of the indigenous long range subsonic cruise missile powered by indigenous propulsion is a major milestone for Indian defence R&D (Research and Development). The Secretary of DRDO, Samir V Kamat congratulated the entire team of the defence R&D agency on the successful conduct of the ITCM launch.
