TARA Glide Weapon

India's indigenous GPS/INS-guided glide bomb; DRDO design; ~100 km stand-off range; air-launched precision strike weapon; tested from Su-30MKI.

Glide BombStand-off weaponIndigenousDRDOGPS/INS100 km rangeTestedtestedTier A
Maker: DRDO (Armament and Research Development Establishment, ARDE Pune) — design; production by private industry / OFB
Country: India·Class: GPS/INS-guided glide bomb
air

Last verified:

At a Glance

OEM
DRDO ARDE Pune — design; production by private industry / OFB
Range
~100 km (stand-off, glide from altitude)
Guidance
GPS/INS (mid-course) + optional terminal seeker
Warhead
High-explosive (estimated 100-200 kg class)
Launch
Air-launched from fighter aircraft (Su-30MKI, Tejas)
Target
Fixed ground targets: radar sites, command posts, infrastructure
Platform
Su-30MKI (tested); Tejas (planned)
Speed
Subsonic (glide); no propulsion
Status
Tested; procurement/induction phase
indicators
[]
key specs
[]

What It Is

TARA is an indigenous Indian GPS/INS-guided glide bomb designed by the Armament and Research Development Establishment (ARDE) of DRDO in Pune. The weapon is a stand-off precision strike munition that, once released from a fighter aircraft at altitude, glides autonomously to its target using GPS/INS guidance with an optional terminal seeker for enhanced accuracy. With an estimated stand-off range of approximately 100 km, TARA gives Indian fighter aircraft the ability to engage fixed ground targets from outside the range of most short- and medium-range air defence systems. The glide bomb carries a high-explosive warhead in the 100-200 kg class. TARA has been tested from the Su-30MKI and is planned for integration on the Tejas. The programme is in the tested/procurement phase, with the Indian Air Force evaluating the weapon for operational induction.

Sources: [1]

Deployments & Procurement

TARA has undergone successful test firings from the Su-30MKI. The programme is in the tested/procurement phase. No specific procurement quantity or value has been publicly confirmed.

AgencyContextYearQuantity / NoteSources
Indian Air ForceTARA test firing2023Successful test firing from Su-30MKI reported[1]

Open Questions

  • Exact procurement quantity not publicly disclosed
  • Whether TARA will have a terminal seeker variant for enhanced accuracy
  • Integration timeline on Tejas
  • Whether TARA competes with or complements the Spice guidance kit

Import Dependencies

Designed to be fully indigenous. Limited import dependencies on specialised components.

ComponentSeverityNotePillarSources
GPS/INS navigation componentsLowIndigenous NavIC/GPS components available; limited imports possible/research/pillars/defence/
Terminal seeker (optional)MediumElectro-optical/IR terminal seeker may import some components initially/research/pillars/defence/

Intelligence Assessment

Methodology: /research/methodology

Design ownership
5/5
Sovereign

Fully indigenous design by DRDO ARDE

Sources: [1]

Production ownership
4/5
Substantial

Indian production by private industry / OFB

Sources: [1]

Critical component sovereignty
4/5
Substantial

GPS/INS indigenous; optional terminal seeker may import some components

Sources: [1]

Scale / operational reach
2/5
Emerging

Tested; procurement/induction phase; quantity not confirmed

Sources: [1]

Export potential
3/5
Partial

Cost-effective stand-off weapon; potential export to nations seeking precision strike capability

Knowledge Graph

Peer Systems

Related Pillars

Timeline

  1. TARA glide weapon development programme initiated by DRDO ARDE

    Sources: [1]

  2. Procurement/induction phase; Indian Air Force evaluating

    Sources: [1]

  3. Successful test firing from Su-30MKI reported

    Sources: [1]

FAQ

What is a glide bomb?

A glide bomb is an unpowered, precision-guided munition that, once released from an aircraft at altitude, glides autonomously to its target using GPS/INS and optional terminal guidance. Unlike powered missiles, glide bombs have no engine — they rely on altitude and aerodynamic lift to reach their target, giving them a stand-off range of tens to hundreds of kilometres. They are a cost-effective alternative to powered cruise missiles for strikes against fixed ground targets.

Sources: [1]

How does TARA compare to the Israeli Spice guidance kit?

The Spice guidance kit converts unguided bombs into precision-guided weapons with GPS/INS + electro-optical terminal guidance and ~60-100 km range. TARA is a purpose-built indigenous glide bomb with similar GPS/INS guidance and ~100 km range, but is designed as a complete weapon system rather than a conversion kit. TARA offers an indigenous alternative to imported Spice kits, reducing long-term import dependence.

Sources: [1]

What is the TARA glide weapon?

TARA is India's first indigenous modular glide weapon system, jointly developed by DRDO and the Indian Air Force. It is an attachable wing-and-guidance kit that converts standard bombs into precision-guided glide weapons, so an aircraft can release them from stand-off distances.

Sources: [1][2][3]

Has TARA been tested?

DRDO and the IAF conducted the maiden flight trial of the TARA glide weapon in 2026, demonstrating that the attachable kit allows missiles and bombs to fly longer and strike targets with greater accuracy, validating the indigenous design toward induction.

Sources: [1][2]

Open Questions

  • Exact procurement quantity not publicly disclosed
  • Whether TARA will have a terminal seeker variant
  • Integration timeline on Tejas
  • Whether TARA competes with or complements the Spice guidance kit
  • Exact warhead weight and type not publicly confirmed

Sources

  1. src-1Official
    DRDO ARDE — guided weapons
    DRDO·accessed 2026-09-03

    DRDO ARDE — armament development programmes (domain root)

  2. src-2Indicative
    Glide bomb — Wikipedia
    Wikipedia·accessed 2026-09-03

    General glide bomb concepts and indigenous programmes

  3. src-3Credible
    DRDO, IAF successfully conduct maiden trial of indigenous TARA glide weapon
    The Hindu·2026-05-08·accessed 2026-09-03

    TARA maiden test report

  4. src-4Credible
    DRDO tests India's first indigenous glide weapon system 'TARA'
    The Economic Times·2026-05-08·accessed 2026-09-03

    TARA glide weapon test report

  5. src-5Credible
    Fit it, fire it: How an attachable system can help air missiles fly longer, strike better
    The Indian Express·2026-05-09·accessed 2026-09-03

    TARA concept explainer

  6. src-atlas-listingIndicative
    TARA Glide Weapon — Defence Atlas listing
    Techadyant Labs — Atlas register (own register)·accessed 2026-09-27

    Own register: indicative only, never official per standing evidence rules. All listing-derived figures in this dossier are attributed to this source.

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