An Indian Air Force (IAF) team and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Friday successfully flight-tested the country’s first indigenously developed long-range bomb (LRB) from a fighter jet over Balasore in Odisha.
The Defence Ministry stated, “after release from the IAF fighter aircraft, was guided to a land-based target at a long-range with accuracy within specified limits”. He was proud that all the mission objectives were met.”The flight of the bomb and the performance was monitored by a number of range sensors, including Electro Optical Tracking System (EOTS), Telemetry and radar deployed by the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur in Odisha”, the statement read.
It is designed and developed by DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat (RCI) laboratory in Hyderabad, in coordination with other DRDO laboratories. The LR bombs developed and tested a few days after the successful test firing of Agni-5 missile, from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.
Defense minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO and IAF on this huge success and showed his pride. Singh stated that the feat will prove to be a “force multiplier for the Indian Armed Forces.” The successful test flight of the indigenously developed LR bomb from aerial platform is considered to be “marking an important milestone” by G Satheesh Reddy, chairman of the DRDO.
Agni-5 and Long Range bombs are both in line with India’s deterrence and “No-first use” policy but makes it a more developed and stronger country.
