(THE GIST OF PIB) Long-Range Glide Bomb (LRGB) 'Gaurav'

(APRIL-2025)

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.