The Nirbhay class long-range cruise missiles are being developed by the DRDO indigenously and are sub-sonic in speed

In a significant boost to the firepower of the defence forces, all three defence forces will now have long-range cruise missiles of the Nirbhay class in their arsenal to strike targets at ranges of over 1,000 km reported ANI.

The Nirbhay class long-range cruise missiles are being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) indigenously and are sub-sonic in speed.

"The government is considering a proposal of a service to induct Nirbhay class cruise missiles. The consideration is at an advanced stage and once cleared, it will mean that all three forces will have the capability to use subsonic cruise missiles to strike targets," defence sources told ANI.

The government had given clearance to induct the missile in the inventory of the other two services about two years ago.

The subsonic Nirbhay class cruise missiles along with the supersonic BrahMos cruise missiles will be a deadly combination in the forces' arsenal and will give options to the commanders in times of conflict. The missiles would also be part of the rocket force that is being created by the Indian defence forces in a stepwise manner.

The Nirbhay Missile Has The Following Capabilities:

Carries a conventional warhead of 300 kilograms
Can hit targets up to 1,500 km away
Can fly between 50 meters to four kilometers from the ground
Can loiter, which allows the delivery platform to manoeuvre mid flight
Has both terrain-hugging and sea-skimming capability
Travels at a speed of 0.7 Mach
Can deliver 24 different types of warheads whose weights are between 200-300 kg

The forces are also looking at the option of inducting medium-range ballistic missiles for use in conventional roles.

The defence forces in recent times have been given clearance to induct the Pralay ballistic missiles in significant numbers for being used in conventional roles in the rocket force being created by them.

As per the sources, the different forces will have these ballistic missiles along with cruise missiles in their inventory and once that process is over, they might form an integrated force to create a separate wing.

The defence forces have also got a major boost in the form of the enhanced range of BrahMos cruise missiles as their ranges have been increased significantly. A long-range test of the cruise missiles is also due to be held in the near future.