03-13-2013, 12:29 AM
Earlier news reports have thouroughly confused armchair warriors, with speculation of a reusable bomber that carried bombs and comes back.
DRDO has said it is like and better than the unkill tomahawak (THK). It can drop many bomb-lets each weighing few kgs on its way just like THK, doesn't mean it is meant to fly back in which case it be called a UAV or UCAV. Unlike THK however Nirbhay can fearlessly hover around kill zone waiting to choose and engage the target (s) at a time and preferred attitude of engagement (I.e. azimuth of engagement). Better than tomahawk, its engine inlets are recessed thus RCS is really very tiny (compared to THK or its likes) even from frontal perspective. Side perspective RCS is even tinier.
From the available picture one can see the center-of-gravity of the craft as flies the 1000 km (location of wing hing).
IMHO DRDO has done a V good job at the design. Good test.
One can only imagine the smarts of teh system. Navigation is expected to be very accurate thanks to recent advances we have seen in other flying vehicles. DRDO report points to intelligence to do target acquisition late in the game, meaning its tip has range of optical/multispectral/hyperspectral sensors, sensor fusion and more importantly classification, recognition and prioritization of target field. They may start with simpler algorithm, and then graduate to the bleeding edge (if only they choose the person who has the know-how in teh country).
DRDO has said it is like and better than the unkill tomahawak (THK). It can drop many bomb-lets each weighing few kgs on its way just like THK, doesn't mean it is meant to fly back in which case it be called a UAV or UCAV. Unlike THK however Nirbhay can fearlessly hover around kill zone waiting to choose and engage the target (s) at a time and preferred attitude of engagement (I.e. azimuth of engagement). Better than tomahawk, its engine inlets are recessed thus RCS is really very tiny (compared to THK or its likes) even from frontal perspective. Side perspective RCS is even tinier.
From the available picture one can see the center-of-gravity of the craft as flies the 1000 km (location of wing hing).
IMHO DRDO has done a V good job at the design. Good test.
One can only imagine the smarts of teh system. Navigation is expected to be very accurate thanks to recent advances we have seen in other flying vehicles. DRDO report points to intelligence to do target acquisition late in the game, meaning its tip has range of optical/multispectral/hyperspectral sensors, sensor fusion and more importantly classification, recognition and prioritization of target field. They may start with simpler algorithm, and then graduate to the bleeding edge (if only they choose the person who has the know-how in teh country).