Brahmos vs Nirbhay: Requirement Of Subsonic Cruise Missile Explained
Hello defence lovers! Have you ever wondered why India is developing subsonic Nirbhay Cruise Missile when it already has the worldโs fastest operational cruise missile โ Brahmos. DRDO is all set to test the Nirbhay cruise missile with an indigenous Manik small turbofan engine. In this article, we are going to discuss why India needs a subsonic missile-like Nirbhay when it has Brahmos. We will discuss the technology, range, cost, and various other parameters of the two cruise missiles. We will also discuss when and where the two missiles will be useful.
East Vs West: Cruise Missile Doctrine
Let us discuss two cruise missile doctrines followed across the world. One doctrine is followed by America and all its NATO allies. On the other hand, there is the Russian doctrine. We have to understand both of these to understand the need of Brahmos and Nirbhay.
Russian Doctrine: During the cold war, both USSR and the USA were constantly preparing for war with each other. As both of the superpowers were separated by sea, their navies were very important. In such a scenario aircraft carriers became very crucial. While the USA developed nuclear-powered supercarriers, due to budget constraints the Soviets preferred developed Carrier Killer missiles. Thus most of the Soviet anti-ship weaponry was designed to destroy high-profile targets like aircraft carriers. They were also meant to be fired from standalone warships. Thus their single-shot hit probability had to be very high. On the other hand, the Americans had no such specific requirements. Their probable targets were the small Soviet destroyers and frigates. Hence they did not require high single-shot kill probability missiles. They focussed on carrying more missiles instead.
Thus the western countries kept their naval doctrine around subsonic cruise missiles like a harpoon, Tomahawk, Exonet, etc. Meanwhile, the Soviets developed big and bulky yet deadly supersonic missiles like P 800 Onik. Even today we donโt see any supersonic cruise missiles in Western naviesโ inventory. However, the Russians have adopted a hybrid model using both types of missiles.
The Indian armed forces use a unique amalgamation of both western and Russian technologies and hence a hybrid cruise missile doctrine. Now let us understand the requirement of both the type of missiles.
Propulsion
Brahmos uses two-stage propulsion. The first stage is a solid rocket booster which is used for gaining a certain velocity required for the next stage. The second stage is a liquid ramjet motor that propels the missile at supersonic speed.
Nirbhay is also a two-stage missile. Like Brahmos, the first stage is a solid rocket motor and the second stage is a turbofan engine powered by liquid fuel. This propulsion system can only propel the missile at a subsonic speed of 0.8 Mach.
Comparing both technologies, the propulsion system of Brahmos is much more complex, bulky, and expensive compared to the propulsion system of Nirbhay.
Range
The Ramjet engine of Brahmos is fuel-thirsty. The range has to be compromised for greater speeds. On the other hand, the small turbofan engines used in subsonic cruise missiles are very fuel-efficient. The efficiency provides these missiles with additional range. A typical Tomahawk-style cruise missile has a minimum range of 1500 kilometres whereas if we consider Brahmosโ maximum possible range, it wonโt be greater than 600 kilometres (although officially itโs 290 kilometres to meet MTCR norms).
Weight And Form Factor
Brahmos is quite heavy and bulky compared to its subsonic counterparts with a similar range. Brahmos weighs 3000 kilograms whereas Nirbhay weighs only 1500 kilograms. Thus Brahmos can be carried in limited numbers due to its weight. However, DRDO is working on Brahmos NG which will be lighter and more compact. DRDO will definitely reduce the fuel as its real range might be actually 290 kilometers.
Cost
Cost is a major factor when it comes to supersonic missiles. letโs compare the unit cost of an American Tomahawk missile with Brahmos since no data of Nirbhayโs cost is available in the public domain. Also taking the scale of production factor into account, judging the unit cost of Nirbhay wonโt be fair as it is still in the developmental phase. Also, American Tomahawk is quite similar to the Nirbhay missile.
A tomahawk missile costs roughly around $1.5 million whereas a Brahmos missile costs $2.7 million, nearly double. Thus firing a tomahawk missile is quite comical compared to a Brahmos.
Conclusion
Now as we have seen the various parameters of both Brahmos and Nirbhay, let us discuss their roles. Brahmos is primarily an anti-ship cruise missile that can easily penetrate through the enemyโs air defence systems with its high speed, maneuverability, and sea-skimming capabilities. However, there is a tradeoff with the range due to its speed. Moreover, it will be worthless to use for a ground target that is barely defended by any air defence system. Right now Indian Navy uses Brahmos in both anti-ship and ground attack roles.
Once inducted Nirbhay can replace the Brahmos for land attack roles due to its comparative long range. We donโt fire a cannon to kill a mosquito. So why waste a Brahmos to hit a sitting duck if it can be done at half the cost of Brahmos and more than twice the distance away? Moreover, Nirbhay being half the weight of Brahmos, twice the number of Nirbhay can be carried if it can be double stacked in the Verticle launch system.
Thus both Brahmos and Nirbhay will have separate roles to play. Both missiles will complement each other. Right now the Indian Navy operates a limited number of Kalibr for Nirbhayโs role. With the induction of Nirbhay, this technology will be indigenized that too with a superior range. Thus we can conclude that Nirbhay will boost the Indian armed forcesโ capabilities by many folds.
