Khagantak-243
Why in News?
On September 2, 2026, the Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully conducted the maiden drop test of Khagantak-243, an indigenously designed Long-Range Glide Bomb (LRGB).
Technical Specifications
- Class & Weight: It belongs to the 300-kg-class airborne stand-off precision-guided munitions.
- Warhead: Equipped with a Mk 81 general-purpose blast-fragmentation warhead containing 125 kg of explosive fill.
- Range: It achieves a distance of 144 km to 180 km when released from an altitude of 12,000 metres at Mach 0.8.
- Design Features: It features a cylindrical body, five aft control surfaces, and mid-body wings that swivel out upon release to provide aerodynamic lift.
Development & "Make in India" Significance
- Private-Sector Collaboration: Unusually for an Indian precision weapon, it was not developed by the DRDO. It is jointly developed by the private firm JSR Dynamics (Nagpur) and the state-owned Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
- System Split: JSR Dynamics provides the structural body and control systems, while BEL handles the electronics and guidance subsystems.
- Strategic Standoff: Unlike standard free-fall bombs, glide bombs use speed and altitude to travel long distances. This allows fighter jets to strike deeply without entering heavily defended enemy airspace.
Operational Capabilities
- Launch Platforms: The primary testbed is the IAF’s Su-30MKI fighter jet. Future expansion plans include integrating the bomb onto the MiG-29K and Mirage 2000.
- Resilience: It features jamming-resistant satellite navigation to function efficiently in GPS-denied environments.
- Weather Adaptability: It can operate in extreme temperatures ranging from -40°C to +70°C, making it deployable from the icy Himalayas to the Thar Desert.
- Future Arsenal: The Khagantak-243 is part of a larger planned family of glide weapons, which includes the heavier Khagantak-450, 720, and the massive K-1,260 payload bomb.
