Tuesday launch for ‘Nirbhay’ .
Sunday, 10 March 2013 16:48 PNS | BALESWAR Hits: 83 . .inShare.0Tweet
India is likely to conduct trial of the much-hyped newly-developed subsonic, medium-range cruise missile Nirbhay from the Chandipur Defence base, Integrated Test Range here on Tuesday.
As a precautionary measure, the Defence personnel have planned temporary evacuation of the villagers from a two-km radius of the launch complex-III.
The Defence authorities on Friday held a meeting with the district administration in this regard.
A total of 3,284 people, including 698 minors, belonging to 453 families in five villages, Jaydevkasaba Pahi, Sahaji Nagar Pahi, Luna Pahi, Kusumuli Pahi and Khadu Pahi, would be displaced.
The office of the District Public Relations and Information would inform the affected villagers regarding their shifting. The evacuees would be sheltered in two earmarked temporary shelters.
While each adult would be paid Rs 185 for the day, for minor the amount is Rs 75. Compensation would also be paid for cattle and other domestic livestock. The Defence would spend about Rs 9 lakh towards the displacement compensation.
Nirbhay is being developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a Defence Research and Development Organisation lab. This is the first time that India has developed a cruise missile that would travel at a subsonic speed (less than the speed of sound).
Nirbhay has good loitering capability, good control and guidance, a high degree of accuracy in terms of impact and very good stealth features and it is equivalent of Tomahawk, a long-range, subsonic cruise missile, developed by the US.
The ADE a DRDO facility in Bangalore, has designed Nirbhay, the equivalent of Lakshya, which is a pilotless target aircraft. Nirbhay has many technologies derived from Lakshya. It is a two-stage, surface-to-surface missile. While a booster engine would kick the first stage from the ground, the second stage has a turbo-prop engine akin to an aircraft's.
Nirbhay can carry multiple payloads and engage several targets. Even if there are multiple targets, it can pick out a target and attack it. It is a loitering missile; it can go round and round a target, perform several manoeuvres and take it apart. It has precision, endurance and accuracy.
Tuesday launch for