To boost India’s defence capabilities, the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) successfully tested its indigenously developed long-range glide munition, GAURAV, on a Su-30 MK-I platform.

On August 13, 2024, GAURAV successfully conducted its maiden test flight off the coast of Odisha. The munition accurately struck its target.

Specifically, GAURAV is a 1,000-kg glide munition designed to engage targets at extended ranges. GAURAV employs a hybrid navigation system that integrates an inertial navigation system with GPS data.

GAURAV’s technical characteristics:

• Length: 4.0 m
• Diameter: 0.62 m
• Warhead: fragmentation/cluster munition 
• Detonation mechanism: impact or proximity fuze

The collaboration with big private sector companies like Adani Defence and Bharat Forge during the development process also signals a growing synergy between India’s public and private defence sectors.

According to GlobalData’s “The Global Missiles & Missile Defense Systems Market 2023-2033” report, the DRDO is expected to garner business worth $14.8bn over the forecast period owing to its contracts for the development of indigenous weapon systems such as Pralay, Agni, Astra MK, VSHORAD, and Project Vishnu for the Indian Armed Forces.

India’s focus on developing indigenous weapons systems like GAURAV signals a clear intent to strengthen its autonomy and enhance the operational capabilities of its armed forces.

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