India successfully tested its indigenously built Nirbhay cruise missile off the coast of Odisha on 15 April 2019. This was the sixth test of the Nirbhay, which is a subsonic cruise missile, distinct from the supersonic Brahmos. The Nirbhay was first tested in 2013. The Nirbhay missile had a problematic development, with some of the early tests experiencing failure. Jane's Defence Weekly reported in February that problems related to the missile's flight control software and hardware had been rectified.
According to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Nirbhay cruise missile uses a turbofan engine and uses inertial navigation and GPS guidance to reach its target. The Nirbhay has a range of around 1,000km. The Nirbhay is similar in concept to the US Navy's Tomahawk cruise missile. The Nirbhay can navigate to its target by flying past preset 'waypoints' on its route, often flying at very low levels.
