SOURCE: AFI
In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), defense enthusiast Indranil Roy (@Indrani1_Roy) highlighted India’s remarkable progress in the development of precision-guided munitions, particularly gliding bombs, marking a significant evolution from its early challenges to today’s emerging capabilities.
India’s journey into indigenous precision-guided munitions began with the Sudarshan laser-guided bomb, which despite being a significant milestone at the time, faced a number of performance limitations. “The bomb would oscillate a lot after release,” noted Roy, referencing the stability issues that plagued Sudarshan. Engineers experimented with various damping mechanisms, but the weapon system struggled with both range and accuracy. While Sudarshan did not meet operational expectations, it laid crucial groundwork.
Standing on the shoulders of this early program are today’s more advanced gliding bomb systems — Gaurav, Gautham, and Garuda — all designed to be belly-mounted on aircraft. These new-generation munitions are equipped with refined separation dynamics and aerodynamic control. Upon release, they maintain a nose-down attitude for safe separation, followed by a smooth 180-degree roll before wing deployment, allowing them to glide long distances with precision.
The success of these systems did not happen in isolation. A significant part of the technical knowledge came from lessons learned during the Nirbhay cruise missile program. In particular, expertise in deployable, highly-loaded wings and cruciform tail control fins — technologies central to long-range glide and stability — played a critical role. Although the second test of the Nirbhay missile failed due to a wing deployment issue, the setbacks served as a vital learning experience for future platforms.
“It’s not a success story yet,” Roy candidly admitted of Nirbhay. “Hopefully soon! But it’s the foundation of many successes to come.” Indeed, the ripple effects of these R&D efforts are now visible in the improved stability, range, and deployment mechanisms of current guided bomb systems.
As India moves forward, the emphasis is clear: building upon past struggles and integrating cross-platform technological gains to develop reliable, stand-off precision munitions. The evolution from Sudarshan to today’s advanced systems demonstrates not only perseverance but also the increasingly sophisticated ecosystem of indigenous defense research and development.
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