ITCM Nirbhay Missile Successfully Test-Fired Off Odisha Coast

Bhubaneswar: After the October 2020 abort, India’s first Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile (ITCM) Nirbhay was successfully test-launched with a Made-in-India Manik turbo fan engine from a Chandipur defence facility off Odisha coast on Wednesday.

According to DRDO sources, the engine performed as expected. More tests will be conducted to master new technology.

The sub-sonic cruise missile was fired at 9.55 am and was tested for 100 km in flight and 15 minutes in time, The Hindustan Times reported.

The ITCM is an upgraded version of the subsonic cruise missile Nirbhay. It has been fitted with advanced software and more indigenous systems — including a short turbofan engine and an advanced radio frequency seeker.

While the turbo fan engine has been developed by Gas Turbine Research Establishment, the radio frequency seeker has been produced by the Research Centre Imarat.

Although the earlier version of Nirbhay has a strike range of 800 km to 1,000 km, the navigation area warning is issued for a range of around 400 km for the ICTM test. After the take-off, the missile will travel vertically for a range of around 150 km before making a steep dive and following the horizontal trajectory, the New Indian Express reported earlier.