Nirbhay Cruise Missile Development

[bhramos]

First look: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: FIRST LOOK: India's Long-Range Cruise Missile Programme

 

[sandeepdg]

I don't think this is gonna come out,if it is really in the works, before the Nirbhay does !

 

[nrj]

Nirbhay will be ready in 2012

DNA

 

[nrj]

Cruise missile Nirbhay will be ready in 2012: Saraswat

The country's first indigenous subsonic cruise missile, Nirbhay (Fearless), will be ready early next year.

"The integration of the engine is under way. All processes are on for the sub-sonic medium-range cruise missile," said Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief VK Saraswat at the air show.

The missile with a range of 1,000km can be launched from multiple launchers. It will arm all the three services.Nirbhay is expected to supplement the BrahMos cruise missile, which has a range of 300km.

About the hypersonic cruise missile, a more advanced version of the BrahMos, Dr Saraswat said it also would be ready by 2012. A successful test of the technology of the missile was carried out in a laboratory in May 2008 at a speed of 6.5 Mach. The hypersonic demonstrator vehicle will attain a level flight, for a ground-to-ground test, at a height of 30 km from the ground, before it hits the target with a speed between seven and eight Mach.

The hypersonic missile BrahMos-2 will be the Mach 8 version of the missile. It will be the country's first hypersonic cruise missile. It is an advanced version of the present air-launched missile.

DRDO and NPO-Mash are working on a sustained flight scramjet, which will be the core element in the Mark-2 version of BrahMos.

About the ballistic missile defence shield, Dr Saraswat said that the next advanced air defence test (AAD) will take place this month.

The ballistic missile defence shield test had failed on March 15, 2010 but was test-fired successfully later.

The exo-atmospheric interceptor missile, called PAD (Prithvi Air Defence), will now be called PDV (Prithvi Defence Vehicle), and will intercept at 150km altitude compared to the earlier 50km range.

"All elements of aerospace are within our grip and India would soon be an aerospace power," Saraswat said.

The nuclear-capable strategic Agni-V, with a range of 5,000km, will be tested by the end of this year. The software
and hardware of the missile are in the integration stage.

Source

 

[LETHALFORCE]

http://www.flightglobal.com/article...-first-flight-for-nirbhay-cruise-missile.html

India plots first flight for Nirbhay cruise missile

India's Nirbhay subsonic cruise missile will make its first flight during 2012, with systems integration work under way, says Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief V K Saraswat.

To be fired eventually from a variety of land, naval and air platforms, the Nirbhay is planned as a supplement to the larger Indian/Russian BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.

With a planned launch weight of around 1,000kg (2,200lb), the Nirbhay will use a terrain-following navigation system to reach its target at distances up to 1,000km (540nm). The weapon will carry multiple warheads, according to the DRDO.

 

[shuvo@y2k10]

can the range of the missile be increased from 1000km in future?

 

[LETHALFORCE]

can the range of the missile be increased from 1000km in future?

1000km is pretty good range more than twice Brahmos, if we need more we are better of making IRBM'S.

 

[p2prada]

I guess a missile the size of Nirbhay can be pushed to 2500 maybe 3000 Km. But that's going to need a lot of work of course.

 

[gogbot]

I guess a missile the size of Nirbhay can be pushed to 2500 maybe 3000 Km. But that's going to need a lot of work of course.

You can't just increase the range of a missile by 200%.
The amount work and modifications required.

It would be simpler to just make a new missile , larger size for those ranges.

 

[p2prada]

You can't just increase the range of a missile by 200%.
The amount work and modifications required.

It would be simpler to just make a new missile , larger size for those ranges.

You obviously missed the next sentence of my post.

The range on the Nirbhay can be increased to 2500 to 3000Km. It is the exact same dimensions as the Tomahawk.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

http://www.janes.com/articles/Janes-Strategic-Weapon-Systems/Nirbhay-India.html

Nirbhay (India), Offensive weapons

The Nirbhay cruise missile development programme was first reported in India in September 2007, but is believed to have started in 2005. The missile has been described as being similar to the US RGM-109 Tomahawk and the Russian Club (SS-N-27), and is being developed by the DRDO in Hyderabad. There are expected to be several versions of the missile, starting with a ground-launched version, and then followed by submarine- and air-launched versions. The Nirbhay missile is believed to have a length of 6.0 m, a body diameter of 0.5 m and a launch weight of 1,500 to 1,600 kg. It is believed to have a payload of 450 kg, which would suggest an HE or small nuclear warhead, possibly in the 12 kT range. Guidance is reported to be INS/GPS with an active radar terminal seeker. The missile is launched using a solid propellant boost motor, which is jettisoned after use, and a turbojet motor takes over for the subsonic cruise and terminal phases. It is believed that assistance has been provided with the turbojet engine by a Russian company, and that this engine is similar to the TRDD-50. A cruise speed of between M 0.8 and M 0.9 has been reported. The maximum range is believed to be between 800 and 1,000 km. A TEL vehicle is reported to be in development by the Research and Development Establishment (Engineering) at Pune.Unconfirmed reports suggest that flight tests started in 2007, and that the Nirbhay missile system is expected to enter

A Third nuclear capable cruise missile in the Indian arsenal after Brahmos and Shauriya

 

[Archer]

I think that image is not fake. it is not being test fired . That missile model is a static model for display in front of a DRDO lab , should be ASL .

here is a artistic view

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_44d3OT-xI3U/SR79DW-bwqI/AAAAAAAAAbA/2k7HXgJ5Igk/s1600/Nirbhay.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_44d3OT-xI3U/SR78B79U2-I/AAAAAAAAAaw/eKftpAbnI_Q/s1600/36MT+turbofan.jpg

TRISHUL: Nirbhay UAV Detailed

a rather late reply but never trust anything from prasun. he tends to make up a lot of stuff and is fairly bad in terms of just adding 2+2 and claiming it is 11, and a secret source told him. he has been wrong on pretty much every drdo and indian project and tends to write rubbish just so as to get people praise him. only refer to first hand info from drdo, or news media quoting them for such a project. please don't go by fake news guys like sengupta, you will be misled. if a reputable source is required, check the technical analysis to see if its sober, eg the janes report above. shorn of sensationalism it is actually reasonable and a far cry from prasuns bakwaas that the nirbhay was some sort of target or uav.

 

[plugwater]

[h=1]India to test fire sub-sonic cruise missile Nirbhay next year[/h]
NEW DELHI: Looking to add more lethal firepower to its arsenal, India is planning to test fire its latest 1000-km range sub-sonic land attack cruise missile 'Nirbhay' early next year.

Nirbhay will be a terrain hugging, stealthy missile capable of delivering multiple warheads as per mission requirements.

"We are looking to test-fire the new sub-sonic cruise missile in the first quarter of 2012. The Nirbhay will be a new state-of-the-art missile," DRDO officials told PTI here.

With its range of 1,000 Km, the missile has longer reach than Pakistan's Hatf-7 Babur missile, which claims to have a range of 700 km.

The missile is being developed by the ​

Advanced Systems Laboratory

under the DRDO.

Sources said the missile will be sleeker than other similar weapon systems that are operational with different countries.

The Nirbhay will be India's second cruise missile after the 300 km range ​

BrahMos

, which is a supersonic system. The missile can be launched from multiple launchers and will be inducted into all the three services.

​

India to test fire sub-sonic cruise missile Nirbhay next year - The Economic Times

 

[agentperry]

if its really 6 mtr tall than its a very small and compact missile even smaller than club missile. really looking forward for its speedy induction

 

[sathya]

anyone knows about its launcher ?
will it be canistered?

 

[Pintu]

Sathya, most probably it will be launched by a Mobile Autonomous Launcher.

This is an update from Livefist as quoted below:

Livefist: Update On Nirbhay Cruise Missile

A mobile autonomous launcher for the Nirbhay is currently being developed by the Pune-based Research & Development Establishment (Engineering).

Image & Report : Update Shiv aroor /Livefist

 

[SATISH]

Sathya, most probably it will be launched by a Mobile Autonomous Launcher.

This is an update from Livefist as quoted below:



Image & Report : Update Shiv aroor /Livefist

Eh! the report is dated feb 11 2010 and i suppose it is 2011 november now.

 

[Pintu]

Yes, Satish, I think we are now going through Pre Testing phase of Nirbhay.

Regards

 

[Pintu]

Most Probably :

A brahmos mobile autonomous launcher:

a babur missile autonomous launcher:

but I prefer Brahmos canister launcher than babur, think it reduces signature while launching.

Regards

 

[sayareakd]

a babur missile autonomous launcher:

now they have new launcher which is like brahmos launcher.