New Delhi: In a significant stride towards enhancing India’s indigenous defence capabilities, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted release trials of the Long Range Glide Bomb (LRGB) ‘Gaurav’ from the Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft.
The trial was conducted between April 8-10, a Defence Ministry statement said on Friday.
During the trials, the weapon was integrated to multiple stations in different warhead configurations, with land target on Island. The trials successfully demonstrated range close to 100 km with pin-point accuracy.
LRGB ‘Gaurav’ is a 1,000 kg class glide bomb, designed and developed indigenously by Research Centre Imarat, Armament Research and Development Establishment and Integrated Test Range, Chandipur. Senior officials of DRDO and the Indian Air Force (IAF) participated in and reviewed these trials.
It is a precision-guided munition designed to strike high-value targets from long stand-off ranges. Unlike conventional bombs, it does not rely on an engine but uses aerodynamic surfaces to glide through the air after release.
Equipped with advanced navigation systems such as GPS and INS, the bomb ensures high accuracy against designated targets while allowing the launch aircraft to remain at a safe distance from enemy air defences.
The Ministry of Defence said the trials demonstrated the performance and reliability of the glide bomb under realistic operational conditions. Officials termed it a milestone in the development of advanced weapon systems tailored to Indian operational requirements.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, the Indian Air Force (IAF), and Indian defence industry partners for the successful development trials. “The development of ‘Gaurav’ will further enhance the capabilities of the Armed Forces to a great extent,” he said in a post on social media platform X.
With an expected range exceeding 100 km, the LRGB ‘Gaurav’ has been developed to deliver precision strikes on strategic assets such as radar installations, bunkers, airfields, and ammunition depots.
Further technical specifications of the bomb are likely to be revealed after the completion of all developmental and user trials.
The system has been realised with the support of Development-cum-Production Partners – Adani Defence Systems & Technologies, Bharat Forge and various MSMEs.
The Centre for Military Airworthiness & Certification and Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance contributed towards certification and quality assurance.
The trials would pave the way towards induction of the weapon into the Indian Air Force. UNI
