Platform profile · India · Land-attack cruise missile family · Indian Navy and Indian Air Force
Nirbhay / ITCM / LRLACM
TestingThe 15 June 2026 LRLACM flight met all stated objectives, but service induction has not yet been announced.
DRDO successfully flight-tested LRLACM from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island on 15 June 2026 and reported that every test objective was met. This family covers the developmental line from the original Nirbhay through the indigenous-propulsion ITCM to LRLACM, which has been tested from a mobile ground launcher and is intended for ground and ship deployment. The programme is giving India a domestically controlled, long-range subsonic precision-strike option while reducing dependence on imported cruise-missile propulsion. Its progress expands standoff choices in Pakistan- and China-facing contingencies and across the Indian Ocean, although service induction has not been announced.
Updated 15 Jun 2026
Verified figures
Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Length (Nirbhay) | 6.0 m ↗ |
| Body diameter (Nirbhay) | 0.5 m ↗ |
| Launch weight (Nirbhay) | 1,500-1,600 kg ↗ |
| Range (Nirbhay) | 800-1,000 km ↗ |
| Maximum range (LRLACM, envisaged) | 1,000 km land/air launch; 1,500 km naval launch ↗ |
| Payload (Nirbhay) | 450 kg ↗ |
| Cruise speed (Nirbhay) | Mach 0.65 ↗ |
| Demonstrated flight altitude (Nirbhay) | As low as 100 m ↗ |
| Powerplant | Solid-propellant booster and turbojet on Nirbhay; indigenous Manik small turbofan on LRLACM ↗ |
| Guidance (Nirbhay) | INS/GPS with active-radar terminal seeker ↗ |
Spec sources: missilethreat.csis.org ↗ · janes.com ↗ · navalnews.com ↗
Changelog
Program timeline
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DRDO successfully flight-tested LRLACM from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha, and Integrated Test Range data showed that all test objectives were fully met.
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DRDO conducted LRLACM's maiden flight from a mobile articulated launcher at Chandipur; all subsystems performed as expected and met the primary mission objectives.
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DRDO successfully flight-tested ITCM at Chandipur, demonstrating waypoint navigation, very-low-altitude sea-skimming flight and the indigenous GTRE propulsion system.
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A Nirbhay test from Odisha was terminated after approximately 8 minutes because of an unspecified engine problem.
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The Defence Acquisition Council approved development of 1,000 km-range LRLACM systems for the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force.
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The sixth Nirbhay development flight completed all mission objectives, including boost and cruise repeatability, waypoint navigation and sea-skimming flight.
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A successful Nirbhay trial cruised for 50 minutes, covered 647 km and demonstrated flight at Mach 0.7 and altitudes as low as 100 m.
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Nirbhay's second launch flew for more than 1 hour 10 minutes, covered over 1,000 km and maintained reported path accuracy better than 10 m.
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