Two significant long-range missile programs were showcased at India’s DefExpo2018 event held in Chennai from April 11 to 14. India’s defense ministry and its Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) displayed a full-scale mockup of the ground-launched Nirbhay cruise missile. The Indo-Russian BrahMos Aerospace joint venture showed the “Next Generation” version of its supersonic missile.
The Nirbhay is similar in size and performance to the U.S. Tomahawk and Russia’s Caliber 3M54/3M14 cruise missiles. It is six meters (19.7 feet) long and has a cylindrical body with diameter of 0.52 m (67 inches). According to local sources, the Nirbhay can carry a conventional or nuclear warhead over a distance of 1,500 km/808 nm. Its production should have commenced last year. Separately, the DRDO put on display an indigenously developed “Small Turbofan Engine” that might power the Nirbhay.
