By
Anantha Krishnan M
Express News Service
Express News Service
Hyderabad: Over hundred missile scientists in Bangalore
and Hyderabad have begun their investigations in the form of post-flight
analysis of the aborted mission of India’s first subsonic cruise missile,
Nirbhay, recently. Sources confirmed to Express on Saturday that the missile
had successfully navigated two way-points during its 19-minute flight.
As
reported by Express earlier, the
preliminary investigations have found that the missile’s vertical lift-off,
booster performance, control actuators, ignition of engine, and wing deployment
performed as per the text-book format. “We found no shocks or jerks during the deployment of wings. The
entire avionics functioned normally. The missile navigated through first two
way-points. The missile drifted from the path due to the improper functioning
of one of the electronic sub-systems,” sources said.
While
all the new technologies onboard the missile is said to have done their duties,
what’s worrying the DRDO scientists is that a proven system might have given up
at the crucial time. “The radars located at Chandipur, Dhamra, Wheeler’s
Island, Paradeep, Puri (near Konark) and Gopalpur tracked the missile. For the
first time, we have had a chase aircraft in the form of a Sukhoi following the
missile. The Sukhoi gave us the exact location where the missile fell after the
mission was aborted,” sources said.
The
scientists have planned eight to 10 way-points for the missile for its full
duration (one hour, approximately 1000 km) of the flight. While DRDO refuses to
accept it as a failure, considering that all systems developed for the cruise
vehicle have functioned till the time the mission was aborted. “We will be able
to find out the exact cause soon and we have nothing to hide. Another Nirbhay
should be ready for flight within six months. Some work has been going on in
various labs for the next mission,” sources said.
Copyright@The New Indian Express
