Nirbhay fails maiden test: Here's all you need to know about the missile

India’s first cruise missile Nirbhay on Tuesday failed to hit the target in its maiden test-firing as it had to be terminated mid-way after deviating from the flight course.However, the DRDO said the missile ‘successfully’ met the basic mission objectives and performed some of the manouveres satisfactorily before being terminated mid way.[caption id="attachment_657260" align="alignleft" width="380"] Image for representation only. AFP[/caption]Here is all you need to know about Nirbhay:* Soon after the missile took off, the booster engine kick-started and the first stage was separated and missile cruised ahead at 0.7 Mach, reports The Hindu.* It is India's first indigenously developed sub-sonic cruise missile.* Nirbhay was developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory based in Bangalore.* It is said to have a strike-range of around 1,500 km.* A top DRDO official told The Hindu that the flight had to be terminated to ensure "coastal safety".* The surface-to-surface sub-sonic cruise missile has the capability of being launched from land, sea and air.* Nirbhay has good loitering capability, good control and guidance, high degree of accuracy in terms of impact and very good stealth features.* “After travelling approximately mid-way, deviations were observed from its intended course. Further, flight was terminated to ensure coastal safety,” DRDO spokesman Ravi Gupta said in a release.With inputs from PTI