Nirbhay () is a long range, all-weather,

subsonic Subsonic may refer to: Motion through a medium * Any speed lower than the speed of sound within a sound-propagating medium * Subsonic aircraft, a flying machine that flies at air speeds lower than the speed of sound * Subsonic ammunition, a type o ...

cruise missile A cruise missile is an unmanned self-propelled guided missile that sustains flight through aerodynamic lift for most of its flight path. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large payload over long distances with high precision. Modern cru ...

designed and developed in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

by the

Aeronautical Development Establishment Aeronautical Development Establishment is a laboratory of India's Defence Research and Development Organisation. Located in Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until ...

(ADE) which is under

Defence Research and Development Organisation The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is an agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in the Ministry of Defence of the Government of India, charged with the military's research and development, head ...

(DRDO). The missile can be launched from multiple platforms and is capable of carrying conventional and nuclear warheads. It is currently deployed in limited numbers on the

Line of Actual Control The Line of Actual Control (LAC), in the context of the Sino-Indian border dispute, is a notional demarcation lineAnanth KrishnanLine of Actual Control , India-China: the line of actual contest, 13 June 2020: "In contrast, the alignment of ...

(LAC) as part of India's standoff with

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Design

Nirbhay missiles during Republic Day Parade 2018

Nirbhay missiles are powered by a

solid rocket booster A solid rocket booster (SRB) is a solid propellant motor used to provide thrust in spacecraft launches from initial launch through the first ascent. Many launch vehicles, including the Atlas V, SLS and Space Shuttle, have used SRBs to give laun ...

for take off, which is developed by the

Advanced Systems Laboratory The Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) is an Indian defence laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Located in Hyderabad, Telangana Telangana is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated ...

(ASL). Upon reaching the required velocity and height, a

turbofan A turbofan or fanjet is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used in aircraft engine, aircraft propulsion. The word "turbofan" is a combination of references to the preceding generation engine technology of the turbojet and the add ...

engine in the missile takes over for further propulsion. The missile is guided by an

inertial navigation system An inertial navigation system (INS; also inertial guidance system, inertial instrument) is a navigation device that uses motion sensors (accelerometers), rotation sensors (gyroscopes) and a computer to continuously calculate by dead reckoning th ...

developed by the

Research Centre Imarat Research Centre Imarat (RCI) is a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory located in Hyderabad, Telangana. The lab is responsible for research and development of missile systems, Precision-guided munition, guided weapons ...

(RCI) and a radio altimeter for the height determination. The missile has a

ring laser gyroscope A ring laser gyroscope (RLG) consists of a ring laser having two independent counter-propagating resonant modes over the same path; the difference in phase is used to detect rotation. It operates on the principle of the Sagnac effect which shi ...

(RLG) based guidance, control and navigation system. It also has a

microelectromechanical system MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) is the technology of microscopic devices incorporating both electronic and moving parts. MEMS are made up of components between 1 and 100 micrometres in size (i.e., 0.001 to 0.1 mm), and MEMS devices ...

(

MEMS MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) is the technology of microscopic devices incorporating both electronic and moving parts. MEMS are made up of components between 1 and 100 micrometres in size (i.e., 0.001 to 0.1 mm), and MEMS devices ...

) based

(INS) along with the

GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based hyperbolic navigation system owned by the United States Space Force and operated by Mission Delta 31. It is one of the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) that provide geol ...

NavIC Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), with an operational name of NavIC (acronym for Navigation with Indian Constellation; also, 'sailor' or 'navigator' in Indian languages), is an autonomous regional satellite navigation syste ...

system. The missile has a length of 6 metres, width of 0.52 metres, a wing span of 2.7 metres and weighs about 1500 kg. It has a range of about 1500 km and is capable of delivering 24 different types of warheads depending on mission requirements between 200 and 300 kg. The missile is claimed to have

sea-skimming Sea skimming is a technique many anti-ship missiles and some fighter or strike aircraft use to avoid radar and infrared detection and to lower the probability of being shot down during their approach to the target. Method Sea-skimming anti-s ...

and loitering capability, i.e., it can circle around a target and perform several manoeuvres and then re-engage it. It is also able to pick out a target and attack it among multiple targets. With two side wings, the missile is capable of flying at different altitudes ranging from 50 m to 4 km above the ground and can also fly at low altitudes (like low tree level) to avoid detection by enemy radar. It will eventually supplement the role played by the

BrahMos The BrahMos (also designated as PJ-10)Research and Development Establishment Research & Development Establishment (Engineers) (R&DE(E) or R&DE(Engrs)) is a laboratory of the Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO). Located in Pune, Maharashtra, India. its primary function is development of mobility equipment ...

(Engineers), a specialized arm of DRDO.

Tata Motors Tata Motors Limited is an Indian Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive company, headquartered in Mumbai and part of the Tata Group. The company produces passenger cars, cars, trucks, vans, and busses, buses. T ...

has built the vehicle that is the carrier/launcher for the Nirbhay system and is based on a "high mobility, all-terrain and all-wheel drive Tata LPTA 5252-12×12 vehicle", developed in partnership with DRDO. The aerodynamic characterization research was conducted at the

National Aerospace Laboratories The National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) is an aerospace research institution in India, established by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Delhi in 1959. NAL collaborates with organizations such as Hindustan Aeronaut ...

' 1.2m Trisonic Wind Tunnel Facility.

Further Development

DRDO announced the completion of the Nirbhay cruise missile development project on 6 February 2023 after completing six developmental trials. The next phase of tests will happen from April 2020 under the Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile (ITCM) programme. It will include Small Turbo Fan Engine (STFE) developed by

Gas Turbine Research Establishment Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) is a laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Located in Bengaluru, its primary function is research and development of aero gas-turbines for military aircraft. As a spin ...

(GTRE) and a radio-frequency (RF) seeker from

(RCI). A separate air-launched variant and submarine-launched variant is under active development.

Variants

Base variant

The standard Nirbhay subsonic cruise missile is powered by a Russian

NPO Saturn UEC NPO Saturn, PJSC () is a Russian aircraft engine manufacturer, formed from the mergers of Rybinsk Motors and Lyul'ka-Saturn (after Arkhip Mikhailovich Lyulka) in 2001. Saturn's engines power many former Eastern Bloc aircraft, such as the Tu ...

36MT engine.

ITCM

The Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile, abbreviated as ITCM, is based on Nirbhay missile but uses locally developed Small Turbo Fan Engine (STFE), also known as Manik Engine from

. The ITCM is a technology demonstrator programme to validate the capability of STFE, upgraded radio frequency (RF) seekers, and other subsystems. The main objective of this programme to achieve 100% indigenous contents in the cruise missile.

LR-LACM

The Long Range-Land Attack Cruise Missile, abbreviated as LR-LACM, is a longer range variant of the Nirbhay with a range up to 1,500 km. This missile would be operated by both the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force when development is complete. This missile would be compatible with the Universal Vertical Launch Module (UVLM) cells used for

BrahMos The BrahMos (also designated as PJ-10) It will weigh about one tonne, have a length of 6 m and diameter of 0.52 m. The missile is designed to have two tapering-chord fold-out wings with a span of 2.7 m. The missile would be equipped with Small Turbofan Engines (STFEs), upgraded radio frequency (RF) seekers, and other subsystems. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved the procurement of the missile for the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force in February 2024 and November 2023 at the cost of and , respectively. The Acceptance of Necessity for the missile project has been approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by the

Defence Minister A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

. The project has gained Mission Mode status. The development-cum-production partners of the missile are

Bharat Electronics Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) is an Indian public sector aerospace and defence electronics company, headquartered in Bangalore. It primarily manufactures advanced electronic products for ground and aerospace applications. BEL is one of sixt ...

and

Bharat Dynamics Limited Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) is one of India's manufacturers of ammunitions and missile systems. It was founded in 1970 in Hyderabad, India. BDL has been working in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation and foreig ...

. The missile was first tested on 12 November 2024.

Anti-ship variant

A report in early September 2024 suggested that a ship-launched anti-ship variant of the LR-LACM would be tested within 12-18 months. The test will conducted from the Universal Vertical Launcher Module (UVLM), which was originally developed by

BrahMos Aerospace BrahMos Aerospace is an Indo-Russian multinational aerospace and defense corporation, with core manufacturing concentrations in cruise missiles. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, it was founded as a joint venture between the India's Defence R ...

- L&T for delivering

BrahMos The BrahMos (also designated as PJ-10)sea-skimming Sea skimming is a technique many anti-ship missiles and some fighter or strike aircraft use to avoid radar and infrared detection and to lower the probability of being shot down during their approach to the target. Method Sea-skimming anti-s ...

capabilities in April 2024.

SLCM

The Submarine Launched Cruise Missile, abbreviated as SLCM, is the submarine-launched variant designed to launch from

torpedo tubes A torpedo tube is a cylindrical device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units (also referred to as torpedo launchers) installed aboa ...

of submarines. It is a compact version of Nirbhay missile. It has a stated range of 500 km, with a length of 5.6 meter, diameter of 0.505 meter, all up weight of 975 kg and Mach 0.7 speed. It would feature INS/GPS navigation, with an RF seeker for terminal guidance. There are plans to extend the missile's range to 800 km. During flight, SLCMs follow a low altitude trajectory. They skim close to the surface to stay out of the radar systems' altitude range. It comes with two variants: a ''Land attack cruise missile (LACM)'' and ''Anti-Ship Cruise Missile (ASCM)''. The missile shall be a part of the weapons package of Project 75(I) submarines. The missile would be tested initially on Sindhughosh-class submarines. The missile is under development trial stage.

Testing

The first test flight of the missile was planned in October 2012, but the launch was postponed to December owing to the changes being made to the launcher.

V. K. Saraswat Vijay Kumar Saraswat is an Indian scientist who formerly served as the Director General of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Chief Scientific Advisor to the Indian Minister of Defence. He retired as the Director Ge ...

, Director General & Scientific Adviser of DRDO, later said that the missile would be tested in February 2013. He said the delay was due to development of some processes. DRDO expected the missile to be ready for induction within 12 to 18 months after the February test. There were unconfirmed media reports that the missile would be scrapped due to multiple test failures but it was then reported that the project has been given an 18-month extension, till June 2018, to fix all outstanding issues. Nirbhay cruise missile has a single shot kill ratio of above 90 percent.

Induction

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

(MoD) is considering a proposal from one of the service for the induction of Nirbhay and is at an advance stage of discussion. Once cleared, all the three services of

Indian Armed Forces The Indian Armed Forces are the armed forces, military forces of the India, Republic of India. It consists of three professional uniformed services: the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, and the Indian Air Force.—— Additionally, the Indian Ar ...

will have Nirbhay in their arsenal. The

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

already cleared the induction of Nirbhay in two services about two years ago. The LRLACM received Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) from Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) for induction into Indian Air Force in August 2023. As of September 2024, the user trials and eventual induction of Nirbhay missiles are expected soon. Trials of LRLACM of the Indian Army is expected to begin in 2025. Nirbhay, Pralay,

Brahmos The BrahMos (also designated as PJ-10)Pinaka will become part of the Integrated Rocket Force (IRF), a separate entity from

Strategic Forces Command The Strategic Forces Command (SFC), sometimes called Strategic Nuclear Command, forms part of India's Nuclear Command Authority (NCA). It is responsible for the management and administration of the country's tactical and strategic nuclear we ...

(SFC).

Operators

Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts. It was officially established on 8 Octob ...

Indian Navy The Indian Navy (IN) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Navy, maritime and Amphibious warfare, amphibious branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of the Naval Staff (India), Chief ...

References

External links

CSIS Missile Threat - Nirbhay

Nirbhay integration into Su-30MKI

Liquid fuel Ramjet technology

India to launch sub-sonic missile next month
Technical:
Engine Layout and Modules of MANIK STFE

DRDO Technology Focus : Warhead for Missiles, Torpedoes and Rockets
{{Defence Research and Development Organisation Cruise missiles of India Military equipment introduced in the 2020s Surface-to-surface missiles of India