The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Tuesday successfully flight tested the Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile (ITCM), powered by the indigenously designed and developed Manik small turbofan engine, off the Odisha coast. 

The launch of the missile, which was also fitted with an upgraded radio frequency seeker, comes after a failed test of the weapon in October last year.

The engine has been developed in collaboration with the Centre for Propulsion Technology at IIT Chennai and IIT Bombay. Manik, also called Short Turbofan Engine (STFE), has been developed by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment and is described as a 400 kilogram-force thrust class engine on the DRDO website.

Developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) lab of DRDO, the ITCM technology demonstrator uses the sub-sonic cruise missile Nirbhay platform for validating the STFE of 450 KGF thrust class.

In 2018, Dr S Christopher, the then Chairman of DRDO, told Livefist that the new engine would be much more economical than the Russian engine (NPO Saturn 36MT mini turbofan) powering the Nirbhay missile during development trials, adding that the STEF-powered missile system “will be over 95 per cent indigenous” by the time user trials begin.

Image courtesy: Pragativadi