Nirbhay likley to be testfired from ITR in Odisha tomorrow

BALASORE ( ODISHA): The development trial of India's first indigenously developed sub-sonic cruise missile ' Nirbhay' is likely take place tomorrow from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur near here in Balasore district.

"Range co-ordination work and final check-up for the test is almost complete and the test flight is to be carried out tomorrow if everything goes all right," a DRDO scientist associated with the project said today.

The missile, under development since 2007, has a range of 1,000 kms.

Though India has the technology of supersonic missiles like BrahMos jointly developed by India and Russia, Nirbhay with a medium range is a different kind of missile being developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment, a Defence Research and Development Organisation laboratory based at Bangalore.

Nirbhay has good loitering capability, control and guidance, a high degree of accuracy in terms of impact and very good stealth features, ITR sources said.

The district administration has arranged for temporary evacuation 453 families comprising 2586 adults and 698 children residing within a two km radius of Launch Pad-3 at the ITR tomorrow to shelters nearby during the testfire as a safety measure, a district revenue officer said.

The families would be compensated for the temporary evacuation, he said.