India Defence Research and Development Organisation
Nirbhay
An Indian long-range, subsonic land-attack cruise missile designed for deep-strike missions against ground targets from road-mobile launchers. It gives India an indigenous Tomahawk-class weapon complementing the supersonic BrahMos.
In service since 2019
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
1,000
km range
0.8
Mach
200
kg warhead
Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
National export licensing
Subject to India export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Operator data not public
In service since 2019. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed (Mach)
Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.
- 0.8 Mach Stronger than 17% of missiles
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 1,000 km Stronger than 82% of missiles
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Warhead
Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range.
- 200 kg Stronger than 52% of missiles
- Warhead type
Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable.
- High-explosive fragmentation
- Guidance
How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire.
- Inertial navigation, GPS, Terrain-reference navigation
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 6 m
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 1,500 kg
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turbofan with solid rocket booster
Specifications compiled from public Defence Research and Development Organisation and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire Frequently asked questions
What is the range of the Defence Research and Development Organisation Nirbhay? +
The Defence Research and Development Organisation Nirbhay has a maximum range of 1,000 km.
How much does the Defence Research and Development Organisation Nirbhay weigh? +
The Defence Research and Development Organisation Nirbhay has a combat weight of 1,500 kg.
What is the Defence Research and Development Organisation Nirbhay used for? +
The Defence Research and Development Organisation Nirbhay is a missile typically used for deep strike.
How much does the Defence Research and Development Organisation Nirbhay cost? +
Defence Research and Development Organisation Nirbhay: Unit cost not publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
