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Cruise & anti-ship missilesLimited deploymentProfile in progress
Long-range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile Surface-to-surface missile
Nirbhay is a long-range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile Surface-to-surface missile originating in India. It was built by Bharat Dynamics Limited. Reported operators include Strategic Forces Command Indian Army Indian Air Force Indian Navy.
IndiaAI-generated illustration · Not a photograph — Representative exterior of Nirbhay; geometry is illustrative. Not evidence for specifications.
ForceTally · AI-generated illustration · Not a photograph · AI-generated · OpenAI output terms · Source ↗ · ModifiedLong-range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile Surface-to-surface missile
India
Limited deployment
Strategic Forces Command Indian Army Indian Air Force Indian Navy
Aeronautical Development Establishment
Bharat Dynamics Limited
ITCM SLCM LR-LACM
1,500 kilograms (3,300 lb)
6 m (20 ft)
0.52 m (1.7 ft)
2.7 m (8.9 ft)
Conventional ( PCB , blast fragmentation ) or Nuclear
450 kg
First stage: Solid rocket booster Second stage: Turbojet (for few initial tests) Turbofan - GTRE Manik
First stage: Solid fuel Second stage: Liquid fuel
up to 1,500 km (930 mi)
50 m (160 ft) to 4 km (13,000 ft)
0.9 Mach
Mid-course: RLG - INS with MEMS gyro + multi- GNSS Terminal: ARH / EO / IIR
TEL , VLS (Warships)
Tata LPTA 5252 12×12 High Mobility Vehicle
The missile has a length of 6 metres, width of 0.52 metres, a wing span of 2.7 metres and weighs about 1500 kg.
It has a range of about 1500 km and is capable of delivering 24 different types of warheads depending on mission requirements between 200 and 300 kg.
With two side wings, the missile is capable of flying at different altitudes ranging from 50 m to 4 km above the ground and can also fly at low altitudes (like low tree level) to avoid detection by enemy radar.
It will eventually supplement the role played by the BrahMos missile for the Indian Armed Forces by delivering warheads farther than the 450 km range.
After the design was finalized, the technology required for the missile was developed. It was integrated by Research and Development Establishment (Engineers), a specialized arm of DRDO. Tata Motors has built the vehicle that is the carrier/launcher for the Nirbhay system and is based on a "high mobility, all-terrain and all-wheel drive Tata LPTA 5252 -12×12 vehicle", developed in partnership with DRDO. The aerodynamic characterization research was conducted at the National Aerospace Laboratories ' 1.2m Trisonic Wind Tunnel Facility.
DRDO intends to increase the range to 2,500 kilometers.
The Long Range–Land Attack Cruise Missile , abbreviated as the LR–LACM , is a longer range variant of the Nirbhay with a range up to 1,500 km. As its primary user, the Indian Navy is collaborating with the Indian Air Force in design, development, and acquisition of LR-LACM systems and associated equipment. Upon completion of development, both branches of the military would operate this missile. It would be compatible with the Universal Vertical Launch Module (UVLM) cells used for BrahMos used by the Navy on frontline waships. It will weigh about one tonne, have a length of 6 m and diameter of 0.52 m. The missile is designed to have two tapering-chord fold-out wings with a span of 2.7 m. The missile would be equipped with Manik engine , upgraded radio frequency (RF) seekers, and other subsystems.
The Submarine Launched Cruise Missile , abbreviated as SLCM , is the submarine-launched variant designed to launch from torpedo tubes of submarines. It is a compact version of Nirbhay missile. It has a stated range of 500 km, with a length of 5.6 meter, diameter of 505 mm (19.9 in), all up weight of 975 kg and Mach 0.7 speed. It would feature INS/GPS navigation, with an RF seeker for terminal guidance. There are plans to extend the missile's range to 800 km. During flight, SLCMs follow a low altitude trajectory. They skim close to the surface to stay out of the radar systems' altitude range. It comes with two variants: a Land attack cruise missile (LACM) and Anti-Ship Cruise Missile (ASCM) . The warhead weight is reported to be around 250 kg (550 lb).
Reference text from Wikipedia contributors, used under CC BY-SA 4.0.
True scale
Sourced dimensions beside a 1.75 m human reference.
Points represent sourced observations, including revisions. Revisions on the same effective date are not separate inventory events. Ranges appear in the table and are not plotted as exact points.
| Observation / report period | Value | Source | Claim state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Sept 2026 | 6 m | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
Nirbhay equipment records. Variants, orders and quantities are shown as reported in each inventory source; coverage is incomplete.
Strategic Forces Command Indian Army Indian Air Force Indian Navy
Equipment reference ↗