Which of the following is a long-range subsonic cruise missile developed by India?
- A.Nirbhay
- B.Agni-IV
- C.Trishul
- D.Akash
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, Nirbhay. Nirbhay is a long-range cruise missile that flies below the speed of sound, which is what subsonic means, and it is powered by a small turbofan engine that keeps it flying throughout its journey. Because it flies low and can loiter over a target area, it is often compared to an unmanned aircraft, and it complements the supersonic BrahMos rather than replacing it.
Option B, Agni-IV, is a ballistic missile, powered only in its early phase and then coasting along a high arc. Option C, Trishul, was the short-range surface-to-air missile of the IGMDP whose project was closed. Option D, Akash, is the medium-range surface-to-air missile of the same programme. Only Nirbhay is a cruise missile among the four, and the difference between cruise and ballistic flight is the point being tested.
Read the full article: Missile Systems of India: Agni, BrahMos and IGMDP
Practice Questions
View allIn which year was the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme approved by the Government of India?
- A.1974
- B.1983
- C.1991
- D.1998
Show answer
The Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme, usually written IGMDP, was approved in 1983 and placed under the Defence Research and Development Organisation, with A. P. J. Abdul Kalam as its head.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following missiles was NOT one of the five developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme?
- A.Trishul
- B.Nag
- C.BrahMos
- D.Akash
Show answer
The five missiles of the IGMDP were Prithvi, Agni, Trishul, Akash and Nag. BrahMos came later and from a different route altogether, as a joint venture between India and Russia, and it is a supersonic cruise missile, while the IGMDP produced ballistic and guided missiles of Indian design.
Read the full explanation →The name of the BrahMos missile is derived from the names of which two rivers?
- A.Brahmaputra and Moskva
- B.Brahmaputra and Volga
- C.Beas and Moskva
- D.Brahmaputra and Danube
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BrahMos is built by a joint venture of India and Russia, and its name joins the Brahmaputra of India with the Moskva of Russia to mark the partnership.
Read the full explanation →Nag, developed by the DRDO, is which type of missile?
- A.Surface-to-air missile
- B.Anti-tank guided missile
- C.Air-to-air missile
- D.Intercontinental ballistic missile
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Nag is a third generation anti-tank guided missile of the fire and forget kind, which means the operator can leave cover once the missile has locked on to the target.
Read the full explanation →Akash, developed by the DRDO, is best described as a:
- A.Medium-range surface-to-air missile
- B.Submarine-launched ballistic missile
- C.Anti-radiation missile
- D.Subsonic cruise missile
Show answer
Akash was one of the five missiles of the IGMDP and is meant to destroy aircraft and helicopters at medium range.
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