ITCM Nirbhay missile's maiden launch cancelled due to 'technical snag'

• The maiden trial launch of the Nirbhay Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile (ITCM) was scheduled to take place around 10:30 am today.
• However, the launch was cancelled due to a ‘technical snag.’
• The upgraded Nirbhay subsonic cruise missile comes with a new short turbofan engine and an advanced radio frequency seeker.
  

After seven successful missile trials in September, India was scheduled to launch one more today — the Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile (ITCM). However, the launch was cancelled due to a ‘technical snag.’

“The DRDO is analysing all the details,” a source told PTI. The test is happening at a time when India is locked in a stand off against China along the border in Eastern Ladakh. Several Nirbhay missiles have reportedly already been deployed in the region where two Asian giants are disputing over the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

A new kind of subsonic cruise missile
The ITCM is an upgraded version of the subsonic cruise missile Nirbhay, India's first indigenously developed cruise missile. The new missile has been fitted with advanced software and more indigenous systems — including a short turbofan engine and an advanced radio frequency seeker, according to The New Indian Express.

The turbofan engine dubbed Manik has been developed by Gas Turbine Research Establishment, while the radio frequency seeker has been produced by the Research Centre Imarat.

Even though the earlier version of Nirbhay has a strike range of 800 kilometres (kms) 1,000 kms, the navigation area warning is issued for a range of around 400 kms for ICTM’s test.


Developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the new cruise missile will supplement the Indo-Russian joint venture supersonic cruise missile BrahMos.

The DRDO has already carried out several successful trials of the 'Nirbhay' missile since October 2014.

It is capable of being deployed from multiple platforms and can travel as fast at Mach 0.8 — faster than the speed of sound.

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