Indian Air Force successfully tests indigenous Khagantak-243 glide bomb capable of hitting targets up to 180 km

Key facts

• The Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully conducted the drop of the indigenously designed and developed Long Range Glide Bomb (LRGB), Khagantak-243)..
• The Khagantak-243 was developed by Nagpur-based start-up JSR Dynamics Pvt Ltd in collaboration with Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) under the Development-cum-Production Partner model.
• The bomb carries a 125 kg Mk-81 general-purpose blast fragmentation warhead inside a cylindrical body and features swivel-type mid-body glide wings and five aft control surfaces.
• Khagantak-243 has a glide ratio of more than 12 and can cover a range of 144 km to 180 km when released from an altitude of 12 km at Mach 0.8.
• The IAF first tested Khagantak-243 from the Su-30MKI at Pokhran, and the weapon is planned for integration with the MiG-29K and Mirage-2000.
• The IAF has already placed a limited series contract with BEL for Khagantak-243.
• The Khagantak family also includes heavier variants Khagantak-306 and Khagantak-225, which offer longer ranges.
• More than 1,000 Khagantak units are projected to enter IAF service by ̈2026, potentially reducing India's import dependency from more than 70% to under 20%.
• The development follows the DRDO's own 1,000-kg Gaurav Long Range Glide Bomb trials in April ̈2025.
• Imported Spice and Hammer glide bombs were used in Operation Sindoor, highlighting the role of such weapons in strike missions.