India test firing of key cruise missile a success

India on Friday successfully test fired its homemade, nuclear-capable subsonic cruise missile, Nirbhay, from a test range in the eastern state of Odisha, sources said.

"The test firing of the surface-to-surface missile from the integrated test range at Chandipur around 10 am (local time) has been successful," the sources said.

The missile, developed by the State-owned Defense Research and Development Organization, can fly at treetop level, making it undetectable by radar, the sources said.

With a strike range of 1,000 km, it can hit deep in enemy territory and has a fire-and-forget system that cannot be jammed.

When India's own satellite navigation system is ready, cruise missiles will be controlled by signals from space, the sources added.

The maiden test firing of Nirbhay (meaning "fearless") was not successful in March of last year, as it deviated from its course about 20 minutes after launch.

Nirbhay is India's equivalent of the US Tomahawk and Pakistani Babur missiles.

(China Daily 10/18/2014 page11)