After undergoing flight testing, India successfully develops its own cruise systems

India successfully conducted a flight test of its Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile (ITCM) on Thursday from a defense base off the coast of Odisha, marking yet another milestone in the development of cruise technology.

The missile with turbofan engine Manik, created and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), was tested from Integrated Test Range Launch Complex III (ITR). The test proved that the domestic propulsion system created by Bengaluru’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) operated dependably. During the developmental trial, all subsystems were verified in addition to the propulsion system.

The ITCM program is a technology demonstration that was started to test the capabilities of enhanced radio frequency seekers, compact turbofan engines made in India, and other subsystems created for the domestic cruise missile. According to defense officials, the missile was tested in its entirety while fitted with the new turbofan engine. The missile attained the intended cruise altitude as planned thanks to excellent propulsion system performance. The Indian Air Force’s Sukhoi-30-Mk-I aircraft tracked the missile’s trajectory.

“The missile demonstrated very low altitude sea-skimming flight and followed the desired path using waypoint navigation.” In order to guarantee full coverage of the flight path, the performance was tracked by a number of range sensors, including radar, an electro-optical tracking system, and telemetry placed by ITR at various points, according to sources.

After an unsuccessful attempt on October 28, 2022, it succeeded twice in a row when the booster stage separated and the system encountered an engine problem. On February 21, 2023, the missile, which was equipped with a Manik engine and an updated radio frequency seeker, successfully completed a test flight. The ITCM, which is based on the subsonic cruise missile Nirbhay, is furthermore outfitted with cutting-edge avionics and software to guarantee enhanced and dependable functionality. The DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) in Bengaluru has been developing the missile, with assistance from other labs and Indian industry.