The DRDO on Monday launched the indigenously designed and manufactured Nirbhay subsonic cruise missile, with a range of 700 to 1,000 km, but aborted the trial after it developed a technical snag on Monday off Balasore integrated test range, Odisha at about 10.30 am.
Scientists are now analyzing the snag before conducting the next test shortly, sources said here.
The DRDO has already carried out several successful trials of the ‘Nirbhay’ missile since October 2014. Some of these missiles along with Brahmos supersonic cruise missile and Akash are now deployed at some crucial sites close to the LAC since the stand-offs with China began in mid May.
Powered by a solid rocket motor booster developed by the Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), the Nirbhay missile has an operational range of 1,000 km, officials said.
In the last few weeks, India has test-fired a number of missiles including a new version of the surface-to-surface supersonic cruise missile BrahMos and anti-radiation missile Rudram-1. India also carried out successful test-firing of a laser-guided anti-tank missile and nuclear-capable hypersonic missile ‘Shaurya’.
The successful test firing of Rudram-1 is seen as a major milestone as it is India’s first indigenously developed anti-radiation weapon.
