New Delhi: India has achieved a major milestone in defence technology with the successful maiden flight-trial of the Tactical Advanced Range Augmentation (TARA), an indigenous glide weapon system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in collaboration with the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The test was conducted on May 7 off the Odisha coast, according to an announcement made by DRDO on Friday.
TARA has been designed to convert conventional unguided bombs into precision-guided munitions, significantly improving strike accuracy and operational range. The system can be fitted onto 250 kg, 450 kg and 500 kg class bombs, enabling them to hit targets with high precision.
The glide weapon uses a combination of Inertial Navigation System (INS), GPS-based navigation and electro-optical guidance technology to accurately engage ground targets. Officials said the weapon can achieve a strike range of nearly 150 to 180 kilometres when released from an altitude of around 5 kilometres.
Defence experts noted that the system is broadly similar in capability to the Israeli-origin SPICE precision guidance kit already used by the IAF. TARA is expected to be integrated with several frontline fighter aircraft, including the SEPECAT Jaguar, Dassault Mirage 2000, Sukhoi Su-30MKI and HAL Tejas.
The system was developed by DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat along with support from multiple DRDO laboratories and Indian industry partners. Officials said production activities have already begun with the involvement of domestic defence manufacturers.
DRDO stated that the project focuses on creating a cost-effective yet highly accurate weapon system capable of enhancing the destructive capability of standard bombs while reducing dependence on imported technology.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised the successful trial and congratulated DRDO, the Indian Air Force and industry collaborators. He described the achievement as an important step towards strengthening India’s self-reliance in advanced defence systems.
DRDO Chairman and Secretary of the Department of Defence Research and Development Samir V Kamat also commended the teams involved in the successful flight-test.
