NEW DELHI, May 8: India achieved a major milestone in indigenous defence technology on Thursday after successfully conducting the maiden flight trial of the Tactical Advanced Range Augmentation (TARA) weapon system off the Odisha coast.
The test was jointly carried out by the Defence Research and Development Organisation and the Indian Air Force as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s precision-strike capabilities using homegrown technology.
According to the Defence Ministry, the newly developed TARA system is capable of transforming conventional unguided warheads into highly accurate precision-guided weapons, significantly improving strike effectiveness against ground-based targets.
The advanced glide weapon has been developed by Research Centre Imarat along with several other DRDO laboratories. Officials said the system has been designed to provide greater lethality and accuracy while maintaining low operational costs.
The ministry highlighted that the weapon uses advanced indigenous technologies and low cost guidance systems, making it one of India’s most significant developments in tactical weapon modernisation.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO, the Indian Air Force and industry partners associated with the project for the successful trial. He described the achievement as an important step towards boosting India’s self-reliance in defence manufacturing and enhancing the country’s military preparedness.
The successful trial is expected to further strengthen India’s indigenous defence ecosystem and support ongoing efforts to reduce dependence on imported weapon systems.