DRDO Glide Bombs
| DRDO Glide Bomb / Gaurav Bomb | |
|---|---|
 Gaurav glide bomb during trials | |
| Type | Smart Glide bomb[1][2] |
| Place of origin | India |
| Production history | |
| Designer | G. Satheesh Reddy, Research Centre Imarat (DRDO)[1][2] |
| Designed | 2014–present |
| Manufacturer | Adani Defence and Aerospace |
| Variants | Gaurav (Winged), Gautham (Non-Winged) |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | Gaurav - 1,000 kg (2,200 lb)[1][2] Gautham - 550 kg (1,210 lb) |
| Length | 4.0 m |
| Diameter | 0.62 m |
| Warhead | CL-20 (fragmentation, cluster munition, PCB)[3] |
Detonation mechanism | Contact and proximity fuze |
Operational range | Gaurav (Winged) - 100 kilometres (54 nmi) Gautham (Non-winged) - 30 kilometres (16 nmi)[1][2] |
| Flight altitude | 10 km |
Guidance system | Mid-course: Inertial navigation system with GPS/NavIC satellite guidance Terminal: Semi-active laser homing[4] |
Launch platform | Sukhoi Su-30 MKI[5] |
The DRDO Glide Bomb is a product of the Defence Research and Development Organisation to deploy a standardised medium range precision guided weapon, especially for engagement of targets from outside the range of standard anti-aircraft defenses, thereby increasing aircraft survivability and minimising friendly losses.
Development[edit]
The bomb was designed by the nodal Laboratory Research Centre Imarat[6] in Hyderabad with the help of Defence Avionics Research Establishment (DARE) in Bengaluru, Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL) in Chandigarh and Armaments Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) in Pune.[1][2] The team designed the bomb specially for the Indian Air Force to fill their requirement of precision guided weapons.[1][2]
Variants[edit]
Under the DRDO's Long Range Glide Bomb (LRGB) project, 2 variants have been planned:
- Gaurav - The winged version. It has a range of up to 100 km and weights 1,000-kg. It can carry either pre-fragmented or penetration-blast type of warhead.[1][5]
- Gautham - The non-winged version. It has a range of 30 km and in future the range will be enhanced to 100 km weights 550-kg. It can also carry either pre-fragmented or penetration-blast type of warhead.[1]Although this bomb lacks wings, it does include a control surface that works in conjunction with the inbuilt navigation and guidance system.
The length of both the bombs is 4 meters. The diameter of both the bombs is 0.62 m. Both bombs have onboard inertial navigation system with GPS and NaVIC Satellite Guidance System.
Trials[edit]
The DRDO and the Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully tested a 1,000 kg glide bomb on 19 December 2014 that covered a range of 100 km guided through its on-board navigation system. The flight path is of the glide bomb was monitored by DRDO radars and electro-optic systems situated at Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur.[7] On 17 August 2018, the IAF and DRDO did a covert successful trial of Gautham and Gaurav at Pokhran firing range, Jaisalmer.[8]
Long Range Glide Bomb - Gaurav[edit]
DRDO and IAF successfully tested Long Range Bomb (LRB) on 29 October 2021 from Su-30MKI at Balasore, Odisha. The bomb was released from 10 km altitude which successfully hit a sea based target using laser guidance. It is a 1,000 kg bomb which DRDO developed as an alternative to Spice 2000. The LRGB is a part of a family of newly developed precision guided munitions with a range of 50 km to 150 km in range.[9]
Operators[edit]
See also[edit]
- BLU-109 bomb - United States
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h "DRDO successfully tests 'glide bombs' in Pokhran". Times of India. 20 August 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f "India Successfully Tests One Ton Glide Bomb. Why That's Important". NDTV. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
- ^ "Annual Report 2022-23" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. Government of India. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
- ^ Gupta, Shishir (29 October 2021). "India's 1st long-range 1 ton guided bomb test-fired, hits target 100 km away". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
- ^ a b "India tests glide bomb". The Hindu. 20 December 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
- ^ "DRDO Tests 1000 Kg Class Indigenous Guided Glide Bomb". pib.nic.in. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
- ^ "1,000-Kg Guided Glide Bomb Tested by DRDO". Indian Defence Review. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
- ^ "2 smart bombs by DRDO pass test". Deccan Chronicle. 10 October 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
- ^ "DRDO, Air Force successfully test India's first indigenously developed long-range bomb". The Indian Express. 30 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.