DRDO Ready For Experimental Test Of Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missiles.
Although the turbofan engine performed well, the missile did not cover the full range due to a possible problem in the control system.
The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is set for an experimental test of India’s first long-range land attack cruise missile from a defense facility off the coast of Odisha next week.
The missile, also called the Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile (ITCM), a derivative of Nirbhay, will be flight tested with locally developed engines, propulsion and navigation systems.
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Preparations are underway in the Integrated Test Range (ITR) for the test. Defense sources said an area warning has already been issued for the launch of an experimental flight vehicle over the Bay of Bengal between October 6 and 8. “The mission depends on the weather conditions. If things go according to plan, the missile will be tested on Wednesday. As the missile is expected to travel more than 700 km, the tracking systems have already been positioned to capture data, ”the sources said.
The ITCM with the new Manik engine was first tested on August 11. The mission was a partial success. Although the turbofan engine performed well, the missile did not cover full range due to a possible failure in the control system. Immediately after the test, the DRDO stated that the missile was tested for a short range and that the next test will be to cover the full range. Faults in the system have been rectified and scientists leave no stone unturned for the missile’s first full-range test, a defense official said.
The sources said that after successful testing of the locally developed turbofan engine, the Indian Air Force and Navy have shown interest in air and naval variants of the missile. The DRDO is also known to have initiated design modifications to develop the missile for all three services and meet future warfare requirements.
Launched as a Nirbhay subsonic cruise missile in 2012, the weapons system has evolved into the long-range land attack cruise missile system. Soon it will have two more variants.
The ground attack version will be deployed in the military after a couple of user tests. The cruise missile will complement the Indo-Russian joint venture BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. It has an attack range of 1,000 km and is capable of loitering and navigating at Mach 0.7 at an altitude as low as 100 meters.
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