The Nirbhay is India’s first indigenously produced cruise missile. The missile similar in appearance to the U.S. Tomahawk and the Russian Club SS-N-27 with its cylindrical fuselage. So far it is unclear whether the missile will be ground, sea, or air-launched, but its tests suggest at least a ground launched version. Additionally, the DRDO is said to be working on a road-mobile truck platform. Other reports suggest the Nirbhay is due for deployment on submarines.¹ The Nirbhay is believed to be 6.0 m in length, 0.5 m in diameter, and 1,500 to 1,600 kg in launch weight. The payload is believed to be around 450 kg of HE/submunitions, but a small nuclear warhead with a 12 kT yield is also possible.²

The missile uses a solid propellant booster motor that is jettisoned shortly after launch, switching over to a turbojet engine with a cruise speed of 0.65 Mach and a reported range of 800-1,000 km.³ The missile is guided by INS/GPS with an active-radar terminal seeker, and its accuracy could be improved both by the development of an indigenous Indian navigation satellite system⁴ and the potential of integrating the seeker from the BrahMos missile, which could be tested in December 2016.⁵

The first flight test of the Nirhbay in 2013 had to be aborted when the missile veered off course, but the second test in 2014 was successful to a range of 1,000 km.⁶ A 2015 test of the missile was terminated as a result of a malfunction in the guidance system.⁷ Another test of the Nirbhay is planned for sometime in 2016.⁸