India Carries Out Maiden Flight Test Of Long-Range Glide Bomb 'Gaurav'

India has successfully conducted the first flight test of the long-range glide bomb (LRGB) 'Gaurav' from a Su-30 MK-I fighter jet of the Indian Air Force, the Defence Ministry announced on Tuesday.

The glide bomb accurately hit its target on Long Wheeler's Island during the test, which took place off the coast of Odisha.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Indian Air Force, and the industry for the successful test, calling it a significant milestone in India's pursuit of indigenous defence technologies to enhance the capabilities of its armed forces.

In a statement, the ministry highlighted that the DRDO successfully tested the 'Gaurav,' a 1,000 kg class air-launched glide bomb, from the Su-30 MK-I platform.

The 'Gaurav' bomb, which is designed to hit long-distance targets, uses a highly accurate hybrid navigation system to steer towards its target after being launched.

The bomb was indigenously designed and developed by the Research Centre Imarat (RCI) in Hyderabad.

During the test, all flight data was captured by telemetry and electro-optical tracking systems deployed by the Integrated Test Range along the coastline. The flight was closely monitored by senior DRDO scientists.

Adani Defence and Bharat Forge, the development-cum-production partners, also participated in the trial.

Samir V Kamat, Secretary of the Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, congratulated the entire DRDO team on the successful flight test of the LRGB.

(With PTI Inputs)