India's DRDO and IAF conduct maiden flight-trial of indigenous TARA glide weapon system on 8 May 2026

Key facts

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully carried out the maiden flight-trial of the Tactical Advanced Range Augmentation (TARA) weapon system off the coast of Odisha.
• TARA is India’s first indigenous glide weapon system designed to convert unguided warheads into precision-guided weapons using a modular range extension kit.
• The weapon system was designed and developed by the Research Centre Imarat (RCI), a Hyderabad-based DRDO laboratory, in collaboration with other facilities.
• The TARA system incorporates state-of-the-art low-cost technologies and was developed with the support of Development-cum-Production Partners (DcPPs) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
• Indian defence industries have already initiated production activities for the TARA system, which aims to enhance the range, accuracy, and lethality of low-cost munitions.