India’s Nirbhay sub-sonic missile, once operational, can draw parallel with the American Tomahawk missile (above), providing a long-range, highly survivable, unmanned strike capable with pinpoint accuracy.
Delivering the key-note address the concluding day of Aeronautical Society of India’s national convention on ‘The frontiers of aeronautical technologies’ in Bangalore, Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) chief and Scientific Advisor to Raksha Mantri Dr V.K. Saraswat, said that the missile could deliver a maximum of 24 types of warheads, if the mission demands so.
Sources confirmed to tarmak007 that Nirbhay, built with ‘a certain percentage of Israeli collaboration’ is fast advancing at Hyderabad-based Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL). “Once operational, Nirbhay (fearless) will arm three Services as it can be launched from multiple platforms on land. You will get to see it from close quarters during the 2011 Aero India,” sources added.
It is learnt that the propulsion system design is through and the integration work has already begun for Nirbhay, which will be a technology demonstrator. The missile is said to be far better than Pakistan ’s Babur.
The latest in the series of India 's missile development programme, Nirbhay has its predecessors in the Agni (I, II & III), the Prithvi (I & II) and the supersonic Brahmos.
“The sub-sonic Nirbhay weighs 1,000 kg with a 1,000 km range and a speed of 0.7 mach. It is six metres in length with a 520 mm diameter and would use gyros for inertial navigation system,” the sources added, refusing to divulge much on the engine and the scheduled first flight.
Nirbhay can draw parallel to the long-range American Tomahawk missiles – in the limelight during the 1991 Gulf war.
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