Long-Range Glide Bomb (LRGB) ‘Gaurav’:
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted the Release Trials of Long-Range Glide Bomb (LRGB) ‘Gaurav’ recently.
- “Gaurav” is a 1,000-kg class glide bomb designed and developed indigenously by the DRDO.
- Unlike conventional bombs that fall vertically after release, glide bombs are equipped with fins or wings that allow them to glide forward through the air toward their target.
- Importantly, a glide bomb does not have an engine. Instead, it relies on the momentum from being dropped from a high-flying aircraft and uses aerodynamic surfaces to cover long distances.
- This enables the launching aircraft to stay away from the enemy’s radar and air defence systems, thereby reducing risk to pilots while still achieving accurate strikes.
- Developed by DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat (RCI) in Hyderabad, the Gaurav project involved active collaboration with Indian private sector partners such as Adani Defence Systems & Technologies, Bharat Forge, and several Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
- With a diameter of 0.6 metre, it is four metre long and has a wingspan of 3.4 metre.
- It is an air-launched glide bomb capable of striking targets at long distances.
- When launched from high altitudes—typically over 40,000 feet—the Gaurav can glide to a range of over 100 kilometres.
- It is equipped with a dual guidance system that combines an Inertial Navigation System (INS) with satellite-based GPS.
