India has taken its first homegrown glide weapon kit, TARA, through its maiden test, moving the system beyond development into real-world conditions.
Conducted off the Odisha coast, the trial validated the aerodynamic performance of the weapon’s winged glide configuration, along with its navigation, guidance, and control systems.
Led by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Air Force (IAF), the demonstration marks a step forward in strengthening India’s indigenous defence capabilities.
Samir V Kamat, Secretary of the Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, attended the trial and congratulated the teams involved following the successful flight test.
“Modern battlefields demand the ability to strike hardened infrastructure, logistics nodes, radar stations, command centers, and different formations without collateral damage,” said N K Samal, a former IAF officer, as quoted by Business Standard.
“TARA addresses these requirements by giving the IAF an indigenous low-cost stand-off strike option.”
A Closer Look at TARA
Developed by Research Centre Imarat in Hyderabad and DRDO laboratories, TARA is built to transform a “dumb” bomb into a precision guided weapon.
Once fitted to a conventional bomb, the kit enables the weapon to glide toward its target at speeds exceeding 650 kilometers (404 miles) per hour, with a range of 80 to 150 kilometers (50 to 93 miles).
It incorporates electro-optical and imaging infrared terminal guidance, along with rear-actuated fins that enable aggressive maneuvering in the terminal phase.
TARA will be offered in multiple configurations, including the TARA-250, weighing 308 kilograms (679 pounds), and the TARA-450/500, weighing 546 kilograms (1,204 pounds).
It also features anti-jamming and anti-spoofing capabilities, alongside a drop-and-forget mode that allows operation in electronic warfare environments where satellite navigation is degraded or denied.
