[Defence] Nirbhay

Nirbhay

Basic Facts about Nirbhay

Meaning	“Fearless” in Sanskrit
Missile Type	* Surface to Surface missile. * Can carry both nuclear and conventional explosives. * Two stage flight * Subsonic cruise missile = Less than the speed of sound
Maximum Speed	0.7mach = 858 kmph
Similar to Nirbhay	* Tomahawk Missile (USA) * Babur (Hatf VII) Missile (Pakistan)
Range	* 800+ km * Flight duration – 1 hour
Designer	DRDO
Fuel	Aviation Kerosene
Testing	At Balasore (Odisha) * 2013 – it was failed * Oct 2014 – it was success
Platform	* Lorry, ship, aircraft, submarines * Land and sea versions to be ready in next 3 years. * Sea versions to have range of 200 to 2000 kms.

Special features of Nirbhay

·        Nirbhay designed from pilotless Lakshya drone (0.68 Mach speed). Therefore, it has features of both a missile and an aircraft.

·        Like the Lakshya drone, it can be remotely controlled, can be brought back after mission is over.

·        Nirbhay takes off vertically like a missile. But after reaching 800 mts height, it turns horizontally, spreads wings like an aircraft, and can fly upto 800-1000 kms range.

·        Can carry multiple payloads to attack multiple targets.

·        Seeker system: to lock-on the target, after launch.

Loitering Missile - Nirbhay can circle over an area for many minutes and pick out the target.

Tree Top Missile - Nirbhay can fly at very low altitude to avoid detection. Enemy aircrafts, anti-missile technology can’t destroy it easily.

“Make in India”

·        Nirbhay is India’s first long range subsonic missile.

·        80% of Nirbhay parts are indigenous built.

·        After 2022, India will not have to import any missiles.

Nirbhay in Cold Start

Recall Nirbhay’s special features: Drone-like + attack missile + low flying + no radar detection. Such missile can-

·        Attack Pakistan’s nuclear establishment.

·        Attack incoming Pakistan tank columns.

·        Surgical attack on a specific area within densely populated cities of Pakistan e.g. house of Hafeez Syeed or Dawood Ibrahim- that too before Pakistan radars or jets can detect Nirbhay.

·        Thus, Nirbhay will be a “force Multiplier” for India’s Cold Start Doctrine. Although Nirbhay alone is insufficient, we need modernization in other areas as well.

Nirbhay Vs. MTCR

·        1988: India tested first Agni missile.

·        1989: USA led MTCR forbade India from getting further missile technology.

·        Later, USSR collapsed, We were forced to become self-reliant.

·        Nirbhay: Desi subsonic cruise missile with range 800-1000 kms. So, we’ve not violated MTCR.

Good for India: Experience building. New weapons can be developed using the research data.

Bad for India: Lot of time and money wasted because we had to go by trial-error.

·        Pakistan’s Babar (cruise) and Shaheen (Ballistic) missile developed using Chinese technology. [MTCR violated because in the 90s, China promised to comply with MTCR, without joining as a member.]

Good for Pakistan: Atleast they did not have to waste time and money doing trial-errors like India.

Bad for Pakistan: No experience-building. So their engineers and scientists will always have to steal and smuggle technology in future. Hard to get warranty/replacement/ after sales service because it’s a smuggled Chinese technology!

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