IAF Set to Acquire 300 GAURAV Long Range Glide Bombs, Enhancing Deep Penetration Strike Capabilities Against Strategic Enemy Targets

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is significantly bolstering its offensive capabilities with the planned acquisition of 300 GAURAV Long Range Glide Bombs (LRGBs). These advanced munitions are designed to precisely engage and neutralize critical enemy infrastructure, such as airfields, bunkers, and fortified installations, from a safe distance.

The GAURAV LRGB is a sophisticated air-to-ground weapon system capable of carrying conventional warheads, making it a potent tool for deep penetration strikes. Its compatibility with the IAF's frontline fighter aircraft, including the Su-30MKI and Mirage-2000, further enhances their operational range and precision in combat scenarios.

With a range exceeding 80 kilometers, the GAURAV LRGB allows IAF pilots to engage high-value targets from a stand-off distance, minimizing their exposure to enemy air defenses. The bomb's advanced guidance system, which combines INS (Inertial Navigation System) and GPS data, ensures pinpoint accuracy, reducing the risk of collateral damage and enhancing operational effectiveness.

This acquisition provides the IAF with greater tactical flexibility to effectively engage a wide array of targets, from runway denial to hardened structures, across diverse operational environments. The LRGB's compatibility with existing aircraft platforms also eliminates the need for extensive modifications, optimizing resource utilization.

Glide bombs like the GAURAV LRGB offer a cost-effective alternative to guided missiles for long-range precision strikes, enabling a more strategic and efficient use of resources in military operations. While the current order is for a limited series production of 300 units, the IAF may eventually require an inventory of thousands of such weapons to fully realize their strategic potential.

This move underscores the IAF's commitment to modernizing its arsenal and enhancing its capabilities in the face of evolving regional security challenges. The GAURAV LRGB will undoubtedly play a crucial role in the IAF's ability to project air power and safeguard India's national interests.

 

[Enforcer]

How accurate is it? It needs to be under 5m CEP to be effective. Otherwise its just a toy.

Troops have become more resilient. Modern armored vehicles, body armor, etc etc requires greater accuracy to be effective.

 

[abhinav srivastava]

If glide bombs can be adapted in Howitzer guns then it will be good option. It can increase the range of the artillery.

 

[Hari Sud]

It requires the fighter jet to get close to the target that means endangering a plane and pilot.

 

[Enforcer]

It requires the fighter jet to get close to the target that means endangering a plane and pilot.

Article says 80KM. typically its between 50-100km for unpowered kits. You are not gonna get more range than that if its not powered with rocket booster. A powered kit is typically much more expensive and complicated to build, maintain and use.

 

[Superpower Bharat]

If glide bombs can be adapted in Howitzer guns then it will be good option. It can increase the range of the artillery.

Guided artillery shell available... Ramjet power shell is coming in

 

[S Munde]

The range should be 300 km plus to make it more effective. The next upgrade version come with greater range and payloads. Also integrat it with tejas.

 

[Devasahayam]

If glide bombs can be adapted in Howitzer guns then it will be good option. It can increase the range of the artillery.

If you do land-based versions of old naval guns (up to 455 mm), it could work.

 

[The Presence]

If glide bombs can be adapted in Howitzer guns then it will be good option. It can increase the range of the artillery.

Novel concept.

It's being developed by General Atomics and named LRMP (Long Range Maneuvering Projectile).

It has a range of 120 Km and can hit both static and moving targets alike due to its IIR seeker.

 

[Frank]

How accurate is it? It needs to be under 5m CEP to be effective. Otherwise its just a toy.

Troops have become more resilient. Modern armored vehicles, body armor, etc etc requires greater accuracy to be effective.

Lol no.. Russia used these glide bombs to cause havock in Ukraine..

And I am a Ukraine supporter

 

[Anant]

Our own FAB glide bombs... Bravooo

What the weight?

Also we need 1000s of them..

First use brahmos or rudram to take out air defense then use these cheap glide bombs to mass damge

The Gaurav is a 1,000 kg bomb, while a second variant, the Gautam, is a 550 kg bomb.

 

[Frank]

The Gaurav is a 1,000 kg bomb, while a second variant, the Gautam, is a 550 kg bomb.

Thanks, much appreciated.

We can make 2000kg also and I think su MkI can carry them

 

[Anant]

If glide bombs can be adapted in Howitzer guns then it will be good option. It can increase the range of the artillery.

In theory, yes, but in practice, no. For a LGB to be effective, you need a large bomb, which means you need a large gun for it. The largest artillery guns still in use today are the Russian 2S4 self-propelled mortar systems, which have a 24 cm mortar. In contrast, the Gaurav has a diameter of over 65 cm.

Essentially, if you wanted to fire a 65 cm diameter glide bomb from an artillery gun, you'd need a gun with a barrel diameter of about 25.6 inches. There have been a grand total of 10 artillery systems till date that have been larger than that, and none of them saw use after WW2 (even back then, they were of very limited use given the resources used).

Oh, and if you did get a gun that was large enough, you'd have to ensure the wings survived the initial blast, which is highly unlikely. If the wings don't survive, you have got a large unstabilised guided artillery shell that isn't going to hit its target.

 

[Anant]

Thanks, much appreciated.

We can make 2000kg also and I think su MkI can carry them

Well, Sir, I feel a 2000 kg glide bomb may be too heavy given what it brings. However, perhaps something like a 1,400 or 1,500 kg glide bomb with an extended range would be far more useful.

The problem here is that since glide bombs don't have any propulsion of their own, the heavier you go, the shorter range you have for a given size escalation of the bomb. A 2,000 kg glide bomb would either be too big, or wouldn't have sufficient range. Alternatively, one would have to fit in a small engine or something, at which point we are already looking at a cheaper subsonic missile.

For reference, the heaviest glide bomb till date in modern service is Germany's HOPE bomb (1,400 kg), and it has a range of 160 km. The heaviest glide bomb ever was the German Fritz X from WW2 at 1,500 tons, and it had a range of 5 km.

 

[Anant]

Novel concept.

It's being developed by General Atomics and named LRMP (Long Range Maneuvering Projectile).

It has a range of 120 Km and can hit both static and moving targets alike due to its IIR seeker.

Yes, but the LRMP is a fairly small munition in terms of payload. It is, after all, essentially a modified 155mm artillery shell. LGBs like the Gaurav are several times as heavy.

 

[Anant]

If you do land-based versions of old naval guns (up to 455 mm), it could work.

And where would you find those naval guns now? The tooling to build such guns is long gone, and so is much of the expertise. Heck, the US scrapped their remaining 16" guns a few years back. These were kept as spares for the Iowa-class.

Moreover, in the era of missiles, a large fixed gun is a very convenient target that doesn't give you a range advantage anyways.

 

[Frank]

Our own FAB glide bombs... Bravooo

What the weight?

Also we need 1000s of them..

First use brahmos or rudram to take out air defense then use these cheap glide bombs to mass damge

 

[Sridhar]

If glide bombs can be adapted in Howitzer guns then it will be good option. It can increase the range of the artillery.

??? Glide Bomb is air launched. Rocket assisted projectile is the ideal one , though the weight warhead will differ . But both can be used to strike targets located at a long distance.

 

[Sandeep]

This is good progress as we need to increase the number of glide bombs. We need to 100% indigenously design, develop and manufacture our own bombs and stop the foreign expensive imports. We also need to include our own navigation system so that we can make pin point precision strikes.

 

[Enforcer]

Lol no.. Russia used these glide bombs to cause havock in Ukraine..

And I am a Ukraine supporter

Yeah but that is Russian glide bomb. How accurate is ours compared to theirs? How accurate is gaurav compared to Jdam? Jdam's CEP is like less than 3m. Its very very impressive. Gaurav needs be at least under 5m CEP.

 

[मित्र]

The Gaurav is a 1,000 kg bomb, while a second variant, the Gautam, is a 550 kg bomb.

Is it 1000 kg or ponds ?
Also is it named on Adani's son? Gaurav adani and Gautam adani?

 

[coke]

Range is low, the launching aircraft can be easily shot at 80km range, they need at least 150 plus km range

 

[Anant]

Is it 1000 kg or ponds ?
Also is it named on Adani's son? Gaurav adani and Gautam adani?

1,000 kg, not 1,000 pounds. Oh, and the name Gaurav almost certainly has nothing to do with Adani, as the name was already in use when DRDO was developing the system, quite a while before Adani Defence and Aerospace got involved.

 

[abhinav srivastava]

In theory, yes, but in practice, no. For a LGB to be effective, you need a large bomb, which means you need a large gun for it. The largest artillery guns still in use today are the Russian 2S4 self-propelled mortar systems, which have a 24 cm mortar. In contrast, the Gaurav has a diameter of over 65 cm.

Essentially, if you wanted to fire a 65 cm diameter glide bomb from an artillery gun, you'd need a gun with a barrel diameter of about 25.6 inches. There have been a grand total of 10 artillery systems till date that have been larger than that, and none of them saw use after WW2 (even back then, they were of very limited use given the resources used).

Oh, and if you did get a gun that was large enough, you'd have to ensure the wings survived the initial blast, which is highly unlikely. If the wings don't survive, you have got a large unstabilised guided artillery shell that isn't going to hit its target.

Great points. Good example. Folded wings or some design can be made to overcome the blast... shock waves. Sounds like artillery guns won't be practical solution to propel LGBs to a high altitude and cover lot of distance from where it can glide to its path.

Check @The Presence message. Long range maneuvering projectile by General Atomics works on similar concept. ~120 KM range.

 

[The Presence]

Yeah but that is Russian glide bomb. How accurate is ours compared to theirs? How accurate is gaurav compared to Jdam? Jdam's CEP is like less than 3m. Its very very impressive. Gaurav needs be at least under 5m CEP.

Seems like the US is using some advanced form of GPS for their own weapons.

Gaurav uses both GPS + NAVIC, still it achieves only 15m CEP. SAL/IIR seeker is needed for 5m.