On Thursday, IAF's standoff strike capability got a major boost as Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully conducted the maiden flight-trial of the Tactical Advanced Range Augmentation (TARA) weapon system.
Designed and developed by Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, along with other DRDO laboratories, TARA is India’s first indigenous glide weapon system to convert unguided warheads into precision-guided weapons.
With TARA, the IAF will be able to extend the range of the existing warheads, apart from increasing the accuracy.
The flight trial was carried out off the coast of Odisha.
The main purpose of glide bombs is to extend the strike range of combat aircraft, enabling pilots to release their weapons from safer distances while staying beyond the reach of hostile air defence systems. This means fighter aircraft can strike ground targets from safer stand-off distances without entering heavily defended enemy airspace.
TARA is the first glide weapon to utilise state-of-the-art low-cost systems, the defence ministry stated in a release. The system will make deep strikes by the forces more affordable and effective.
This is also another milestone in India's push for self-reliance in defence. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, IAF, DcPP, and the industry for the maiden flight-trial, describing it as a significant development in advancing India’s indigenous defence capabilities.