Nirbhay Supersonic Cruise Missile Trial Aborted Mid-Air In Odisha

Balasore: The new version of India’s first Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile (TCM) Nirbhay developed a technical snag during a test firing, forcing the defence scientists to abort the trial mid-air, official sources said.

The missile, having a range of around 1,000 km, was test-fired by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) from an integrated test range in Balasore in Odisha around 10.30 am on Monday.

“Minutes later, the missile developed a technical snag following which the trial process was aborted. The DRDO is analysing all the details,” ET quoted a source as saying.

According to a TNIE report, the missile’s engine developed technical glitches after booster phase and deviated from the pre-coordinated flight patch. “The mission team had to kill the missile mid-air to prevent damage to human habitation. The missile was to fly nearly 400 km. A Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft was deployed to track the missile,” the national daily quoted a source as saying.

The DRDO has already carried out seven trials of the ‘Nirbhay’ missile since October 2014 and three among them have failed.

In this mission, however, the missile was fitted with an indigenous engine developed by Gas Turbine Research Establishment instead of a Russian one and the seeker made by Research Centre Imarat, the report added.