Nirbhay Cruise Missile Development

[LETHALFORCE]

It seems like Israelis are involved in many areas of our missile and BMD programs.

 

[Agantrope]

It seems like Israelis are involved in many areas of our missile and BMD programs.

For BMD they are the one who supplied the Green Pine Radar.

 

[bengalraider]

A cooperation with Israel would make sense, IAI has good experience in producing the Gabriel 4LR anti ship cruise missile with a range of roughly 520km, this missile is powered by a turbojet by the way. also getting a longer range cruise missile has long been on the wishlist of the Israeli military. Intelligence Leaks from the U.S and Israeli MoD have long pointed towards Israel operating Long range nuclear tipped cruise missile from it's three Dolphin class submarines, curiously these submarines were modified and built with four 650mm tubes each ;since the 533mm tubes the Dolphin already had were more than capable of launching harpoon SLCM's the 650mm tubes may indicate a totally new and previously unknown type of SLCM.the below data on Israeli cruise missile tests is from NTI.

Some reports suggest that Israel has adapted Harpoon cruise missiles, which have a range of 130 kilometers, to carry an indigenously developed nuclear warhead and guidance system, though other experts argue that such modifications to a Harpoon missile are not feasible.[6] Others believe that Israel has developed an indigenous cruise missile with a range of 320 kilometers that is believed to be a version of Rafael Armament Development Authority's Popeye turbo cruise missile.[7] Still others believe that the missile may be a version of the Gabriel 4LR that is produced by Israel Aircraft Industries. Once encapsulated, it could be launched in 533mm torpedo tubes similar to the Harpoon.[8] Such speculation was further fueled by an unconfirmed test of a nuclear-capable, submarine-launched cruise missile (SLCM) in the Indian Ocean in 2000. Some reports claimed targets 1,500 kilometers away were hit.[7,9] Such a range, however, implies an entirely new type of missile.[7,8,10] However, the Israeli Defense Forces denies any such missile tests.[7,11]

In June 2002, former State Department and Pentagon officials confirmed that the U.S. Navy observed Israeli missile tests in the Indian Ocean in 2000, and that the Dolphin-class vessels have been fitted with nuclear-capable cruise missiles of a new design.[8] Israel issued new denials, albeit in an indirect manner.[9] In October 2003, unidentified senior U.S. and Israeli officials were quoted as saying that Israel had successfully modified nuclear warheads to fit its Harpoon missiles.[12]

Whatever the missile currently arming Israel's Dolphin-class submarines, it seems clear that Israel is interested in the acquisition of new cruise missiles. Its request for U.S. Tomahawk cruise missiles was rejected by the Clinton administration in 2000, since such a sale would have violated the Missile Technology Control Regime, which prohibits the transfer of missiles with a range exceeding 300 kilometers.[5] However, it is likely only a matter of time before Israel is capable of mounting nuclear weapons on its submarine-launched missiles, if it has not done so already.

http://www.nti.org/db/submarines/israel/index.html

My money is on the Nirbhay turning out to be a long range SLCM (arihant???)and being capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

For BMD they are the one who supplied the Green Pine Radar.

They also supplied many parts of the hypersonic interceptors.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1747760/posts

 

[nitesh]

What is the probability of lakshya tubofan getting used in nirbhay?

 

[LETHALFORCE]

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/India_delivering_sub-sonic_cruise_missile_999.html

India delivering sub-sonic cruise missile


Bangalore, India (UPI) Apr 15, 2010
India is developing a sub-sonic cruise-type missile with a range of around 650 miles, The Press Trust of India reports.
The 19-foot-long and 1.5-foot-wide Nirbhav missile is under development and was "getting into some shape," V. K. Saraswat, scientific adviser to the defense minister and the head of the Defense Research and Development Organization, said.

Nirbhav, meaning "fearless" in Sanskrit, is being developed by Advanced Systems Laboratory, a division of the DRDO. It has an inertial navigational system, will reach Mach 0.7 and is designed to deliver more than 20 types of warheads.

The flight-trial of air-to-air missile Astra, with a range of 28 to 65 miles, is in preparation, but no date for a test launch was reported.

Saraswat was delivering the keynote address at a convention in Bangalore organized by the Aeronautical Society of India.

He said India's armed forces are looking for long duration loitering missiles that can enter enemy territory, seek targets including radar establishments and other concentrations of assets as well as enemy troop movements.

Saraswat made a case for deploying space-based object recognition sensors to keep tabs on adversaries and generally gather military intelligence, a Press Trust of India report said. This is especially essential for tracking and detection of troop movements and without the sensors India's ballistic missile defense system wouldn't be a "potent weapon" it should be.

To that end India is working on electro-optical payload and synthetic aperture radar. "So, unless we prepare ourselves for future space-based systems, security is going to be a major issue," he said.

The Nirbhav is intended to complement the military's BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.

Saraswat's comments come after India successfully tested a maneuverable version of the BrahMos, Indian media reported late last month. The missile in all versions has been a joint development with Russia.

The vertical-launch version of the 180-mile range BrahMos was tested from the warship INS Ranvir in the Bay of Bengal off India's eastern coast, the PTI news agency reported.

The vertical-launch version of missile successfully adjusted directions to hit a target ship, making it "a perfect mission," BrahMos aerospace chief A. Sivathanu Pillai was quoted as saying. "After today's test, India has become the first and only country in the world to have a maneuverable supersonic cruise missile in its inventory."

The missile's name is derived from two rivers, India's Brahmaputra and Russia's Moskva.

The BrahMos can carry a 440-pound conventional warhead. The inclined-launch variants of the missile fitted with inclined launchers are already in service with the Indian navy and army. Air- and submarine-launch variants are in development.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/52027/india-readies-propulsion-system-design.html

India readies propulsion system design for new cruise missile

New Delhi, Feb 11 (PTI) :

India has completed the propulsion system design of its new cruise missile 'Nirbhay' which will have a strike range of 800 kms, DRDO chief V K Saraswat has said.


''The development of the system is on. We have completed the propulsion system's design. But we have not integrated it. Once we reach the integration stage, we will show it you," he told reporters here last night.

Saraswat said the missile is a technology demonstrator.

India already has in its arsenal 'BrahMos', a 300-km range cruise missile developed in collaboration with Russia. It has various versions for use by all the three wings of the armed forces.

Saraswat said the country is also gearing to test its indigenous Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) shield in near future, a programme, he claimed, is more sophisticated than the Chinese one.

"This is one area where we are senior to China," he said when asked to compare Indian BMD programme with that of China, which carried out its first test-firing on January 14.

He was addressing a press conference on the recent test firing of Agni-III missile, which has strike range of 3500 kms and is now ready for induction in the armed forces.

Asked why Pakistan never reported any failures in its missile test programme, Saraswat said, "That is the difference between the democratic India and Pakistan."
He said that even when the US, with its large technological base, started testing its BMD, seven out of 14 tests had failed consecutively.

The DRDO Chief said that though China had tested its BMD capabilities just recently, India knew about it after they carried out the A-SAT test in 2007. Prior to it, the Chinese missile programme was kept under the wraps, he said.

He said the Indian programme had started in 2006 and had 60-70 per cent indigenous content in it.

Saraswat said Indian BMD development programme would have two phases.
"In the first phase, which goes upto 2,000 km range, we will carry out exo-atmospheric, endo-atmospheric and high altitude interceptions and in the second phase, we will take care of targets beyond 5,000 km range."

On the dates of test of the BMD shield, he said it was expected to be carried out within this month.

 

[anoop_mig25]

It seems like Israelis are involved in many areas of our missile and BMD programs.

and i think they are spying on us a lot specially our requirement for militrary hardware and can someone tell me when DRDO is going to test the nirbhay

 

[dineshchaturvedi]

I am confused between Shourya and Nirbhay, how they are different?

 

[gb009]

Shourya is somewhere between a ballistic missile and a cruise missile. i.e it files high but does not leave the atmosphere, is powered for the entire duration of its flight and is hypersonic. Can carry a nuclear payload.
Nirbhay will be a cruise missile.. i.e wil fly very low. It will also be subsonic. I think it should be smaller than Shourya and would carry a much lighter warhead.

the wiki, while not entirely correct gives a good indication of their differences:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaurya_missile

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirbhay_missile

 

[LETHALFORCE]

http://livefist.blogspot.com/2007/08/more-on-nirbhay.html

More on Nirbhay

Prasun K Sengupta has this article with lots of info on the Nirbhay cruise missile programme in the latest issue of FORCE. Here it is in full:

The Defence Research & Development Organisation's (DRDO) Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) is developing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that will form an integral part of India's efforts to develop a credible cruise missile defence system. The UAV called Nirbhay (fearless) will be both air-launched and ship-launched. The fast track project, believed to have been launched in late 2005, calls for the UAV to be developed as both a high-speed target drone capable of simulating the flight profiles of land-attack/anti-ship cruise missiles like China's DH-10A and Pakistan's Babur, as well as sea-skimming anti-ship missiles like the AGM-84A Harpoon and C-802A, both of which are operational with the Pakistan Navy.

In addition, a ground-launched conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant of the Nirbhay is also envisaged. This would be a high-speed, medium-altitude vehicle equipped with a 130-kg payload for standoff and theatre-level reconnaissance. It is in response to a specific air staff requirement of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

To be powered by a NPO Saturn-supplied 36MT turbofan rated at 400 kg thrust, the UAV's target drone variant will be capable of cruising at a speed of Mach 0.92 at medium altitudes (10,000 feet) and 1,100 kph at sea level. The UAV will have a flight endurance of two hours, sea-skim at 10 metres above sea level and be able to pull up to 6.5 G. It would be equipped with a 130 kg payload (of up to 24 different types such as towed radar/infra-red reflector/augmentation devices, EW jammers and hit-scorer avionics). It will have a digital flight management system that will enable the drone to undertake various flight manoeuvres like snaking, pop-up and a 40-degree dive.

The ship-launched variant of Nirbhay will be equipped with twin solid-propellant boosters that will be ejected once the drone is airborne. For the IAF, it will be configured for launch from an IL-76MD transport aircraft. For recovery purposes, both variants of the drone will be equipped with parachutes and inflatable air-bags. The drone will have a maximum takeoff weight of 650 kg (minus the twin boosters), overall length of 5.5 metres, wingspan of 2.5 metres, and a fuselage diameter of 0.40 metres. The UAV's theatre reconnaissance CTOL-UAV variant for the IAF will be equipped with a tricycle undercarriage, and its mission sensor suite will include an X-band inverse synthetic aperture radar (most likely the EL/M-20600 from ELTA Systems of Israel), a wideband two-way data link, and a ring laser gyro-based inertial navigation system coupled to a GPS receiver.

Maiden flight of the drone's first prototype is scheduled for early 2009, while its CTOL-UAV variant is expected to fly later the same year. Present plans call for procuring up to 80 drones and 30 UAVs. Series production of the Nirbhay will be undertaken by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, while the 36MT turbofans will be procured off-the-shelf from NPO Saturn. Last October, NPO Saturn had inked a USD100 million contract with the DRDO, under which it will deliver, starting this December, a total of 200 36MT turbofans through to 2010.

 

[sathya]

dude source given is 3 years old ... nirbhay is a cruise missile i hope..

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Nirbhay is a cruise missile but a UAV is also in the design. There are lot of details in this old source for the UAV.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

http://trishulgroup.blogspot.com/2008/11/nirbhay-uav-detailed.html

Nirbhay UAV Detailed


Under a fast-track project that forms an integral part of India's efforts to develop a credible cruise missile defence system, the Defence Research & Development Organisation's (DRDO) ADE and ASL laboratories are co-developing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) called Nirbhay (fearless) that will be both air-launched and ship-launched. Believed to have been launched in late 2005, the project calls for the UAV to be developed as both a high-speed target drone capable of simulating the flight profiles of land-attack/anti-ship cruise missiles like China's DH-10A and Pakistan's Babur, as well as sea-skimming anti-ship missiles like the A/RGM-84A Harpoon and C-802A, both of which are operational with the Pakistan Navy. In addition, a ground-launched conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant of the Nirbhay is also envisaged—this being a high-speed, medium-altitude vehicle equipped with a 130kg payload for standoff, theatre-level reconnaissance—in response to a specific air staff requirement of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

To be powered by a NPO Saturn-supplied 36MT turbofan rated at 400kg thrust, the Nirbhay's target drone variant will be capable of cruising at a speed of Mach 0.92 at medium altitudes (10,000 feet) and 1,100kph at sea level, have a flight endurance of two hours, will sea-skim at 10 metres above sea level, will be able to pull up to 6.5 G, be equipped with a 130kg payload (of up to 24 different types such as towed radar/infra-red reflector/augmentation devices, EW jammers and hit-scorer avionics), and will have a digital flight management system that will enable the drone to undertake various flight manoeuvres like snaking, pop-up and a 40-degree dive. The ship-launched variant of Nirbhay will be equipped with twin solid-propellant boosters that will be ejected once the drone is airborne, while for the IAF, it will be configured for launch from an IL-76MD transport aircraft. For recovery purposes, both variants of the drone will be equipped with parachutes and inflatable air-bags. The drone will have a maximum takeoff weight of 650kg (minus the twin boosters), overall length of 5.5 metres, wingspan of 2.5 metres, and a fuselage diameter of 0.40 metres. The Nirbhay's theatre reconnaissance CTOL-UAV variant for the IAF will be equipped with an X-band inverse synthetic aperture radar (most likely the EL/M-20600 from ELTA Systems of Israel), a wideband two-way data link, and a ring laser gyro-based inertial navigation system coupled to a GPS receiver. Maiden flight of the drone's first prototype is scheduled for early 2009, while its CTOL-UAV variant is expected to fly later the same year. Present plans call for procuring up to 80 drones and 30 UAVs. Series production of the Nirbhay will be undertaken by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, while the 36MT turbofans will be procured off-the-shelf from NPO Saturn. In October 2006, NPO Saturn had inked a US$100 million contract with the DRDO under which the latter will deliver, starting this December, a total of 200 36MT turbofans through to 2010.--Prasun K. Sengupta

Israeli collaboration on Nirbhay cruise missile and UAV

 

[LETHALFORCE]

cross posted

http://uniurs.com/news/2010/06/25/indias-mini-gas-turbine-engine-for-uavucav-programme-updated/

India's Mini Gas Turbine Engine For UAV/UCAV Programme [Updated]

Here it is -- India's indigenous minaturised gas turbine technology demonstrator for UAVs/UCAVs. The Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) -- this photo is from a presentation they made not long ago -- has according to the presentation completed "preliminary design, configuration and analysis" of the engine, under development ostensibly to power AURA, India's stealth UCAV concept, and the Nirbhay cruise missile currently under development by the Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL). Will update this post with specifications and more photographs in a few days.

 

[171K]

Jai Hind.

Newbie here, any1 got any ideas when we can expect to see the Nirbhay cruise missile? Test dates, any info? After how many tests can the missile be inducted?

 

[plugwater]

India's Long-Range Cruise Missile Programme

The image above is the first impression of India's little known Long-Range Cruise Missile (LRCM). The question now arises -- is this the same as the Nirbhay, India's sub-sonic long-range cruise missile programme? This is still tantalizingly unclear. Why? Well, the Nirbhay has been confirmed by the DRDO on several occasions to be based on a subsonic cruise vehicle. On the other hand, the LRCM depicted above is from a slide (see below) in a 2009 DRDO presentation. That particular slide deals specifically with liquid-fuel ramjet technology. Nowhere in the slide is the missile above referred to as Nirbhay, but as LRCM only.

Look at the slide. Here's where it gets interesting. Under the "missions" head on the slide, it says the LRCM is a "super-sonic cruise missile - long range", with surface-to-surface and air-to-surface applications. An illustration on the slide indicates that the missile is being developed with a range of at least 600-km at 3.2 Mach.

Even more interestingly, the slide provides scehamatics that indicates the development plan of the LRCM in a fair amount of detail. According to the schematics, under India's 11th Five-Year Plan (2007-2012), DRDO will complete the development of airframe integrated air intakes (see image) and controllers. These will be completed before 2012. The schematics also indicate that the engine development and engine test facilities are well underway under the 11th Plan, but will be complete under the 12th Plan, i.e, between 2012-2017. The schematics indicate that the DRDO aims for a first test firing of the Indian LRCM by 2013-14.

Apart from the airframe integrated intakes, critical technologies currently under development for the weapon system include variable nozzle system, air cooled combustor and fuel flow control system, all earmarked for the 11th Plan.

The Nirbhay has variously been described, officially missile is being developed with a 300-km stated range, so that's out.even, as a subconic cruise missile system with a range in excess of 1,000-km (the latter hasn't been officially stated though). I asked a senior DRDO missile scientist on Sunday if the LRCM was the same as the Nirbhay. He said the Nirbhay was definitely subsonic, and that the only long-range cruise missile programme in India currently was the Nirbhay.

The only supersonic cruise missile known to be under development right now by India is the BrahMos-2 hypersonic cruise missile, which has a stated range of 300-km. If the LRCM and Nirbhay are two separate, distinct programmes, then the former now stands revealed for the first time here.

Livefist - The Best of Indian Defence

 

[EagleOne]

this look like missile with fighter jet intakes
but the concept is awesome
a long rang supersonic curise missle:emot0:_=..i2-=

 

[sayareakd]

it appears that it is new missile good going..................... :happy_2:

 

[Tshering22]

It seriously appears as though they tried to take the F-15 design and fit it into a missile's concept..interesting and great going!..=i+ :emot206: