IAF successfully tests indigenous Khagantak-243 glide bomb. How the 140km-plus stand-off weapon strikes defended targets

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force has successfully tested the indigenously developed Khagantak-243 long-range glide bomb, reporting that the weapon met all the objectives set for the drop trial. The test, carried out on Wednesday, moves the 300kg-class precision-guided munition closer to production and operational service, although the Air Force did not disclose the launch aircraft, test location or flight parameters.

In a statement on X, the IAF described the test as a significant milestone for both the service and Indian industry. Photographs released with the announcement showed the weapon gliding towards its target and the subsequent impact, but the Air Force provided no detailed performance data.

The Khagantak-243 has been jointly developed by Nagpur-based private-sector company JSR Dynamics and the state-owned Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). JSR Dynamics is responsible for the bomb’s body and flight-control systems, while BEL supplies the electronics and guidance subsystems.

The two companies began formal cooperation in 2019, when they signed an agreement covering the development, manufacture and sale of glide weapons and lightweight cruise missiles. The arrangement is an example of the growing public-private development model in India’s defence industry, with a smaller specialist company working alongside an established defence public-sector enterprise.

BEL told Janes at Aero India 2025 that it had secured an IAF prototype-and-production contract for an unspecified number of Khagantak-243 bombs. Neither the value of the contract nor the quantity ordered has been made public.

At that time, the weapon was scheduled to begin flight-testing on the Su-30MKI, with series production planned after the trials. The MiG-29K was also identified as a possible platform for subsequent integration, although the IAF has not confirmed whether the latest drop was conducted from a Su-30MKI.

The new weapon would give Indian combat aircraft another option for attacking targets without flying directly over heavily defended territory. Its indigenous guidance, control and airframe technologies could also reduce dependence on imported precision-guided weapons, particularly during a prolonged conflict when replenishment becomes critical.

What is the Khagantak-243 glide bomb?

The Khagantak-243 is an unpowered glide bomb rather than a missile because it does not use a rocket or jet engine after release. It converts the altitude and speed imparted by the launch aircraft into range, using deployable wings and movable control surfaces to steer towards the designated target.

According to JSR Dynamics’ published specifications, the K-243 configuration belongs to the 300kg weight class and measures no more than four metres in length. Its body has a diameter of approximately 290mm, while the deployed wingspan is no more than three metres.

The weapon has a cylindrical body, swivel-type wings around its midsection and five control surfaces at the rear. It is designed to comply with the MIL-STD-1760 aircraft-store interface standard and can operate across a stated temperature range of –40°C to 70°C.

Janes has reported a range of more than 140km when the bomb is released from an altitude of approximately 12 kilometres, while travelling at about Mach 0.85. The actual distance would vary according to release altitude, aircraft speed, flight path, winds, target elevation and the manoeuvres required during the terminal phase.

A high-altitude release gives the bomb more potential energy and therefore a longer glide, while a lower or slower release would reduce its reach. The quoted 140km-plus figure should consequently be understood as a favourable release-envelope performance figure rather than a guaranteed range under every operational condition.

For mid-course navigation, the weapon uses an inertial navigation system coupled with signals from multiple global navigation satellite constellations. The manufacturer says a jamming-resistant satellite-navigation capability can be incorporated, allowing the inertial system to continue guiding the weapon if satellite signals are disrupted or degraded.

An electro-optical or infrared terminal seeker can be fitted for improved accuracy, while the wider weapon family can also accommodate a passive homing head. Such a passive seeker could guide the bomb towards emitting targets such as surveillance radars, air-defence radars and electronic-warfare systems without broadcasting signals of its own.

JSR Dynamics claims a circular error probable of less than 10 metres without a terminal seeker and below five metres when one is fitted. Circular error probable is a statistical measure under which half the weapons released in comparable conditions would be expected to land within the stated radius, rather than a guarantee that every bomb will achieve that accuracy.

The Khagantak family has been designed around modular Mk 80-series general-purpose warheads, allowing different bomb bodies and seekers to be selected for particular missions. Current reports identify the Khagantak-243’s payload as a Mk 81-class blast-fragmentation warhead, which produces damage through both the explosive pressure wave and high-velocity fragments from its casing.

Some reports attribute a 125-kilogram explosive filling to this configuration, but that figure is difficult to reconcile with established Mk 81 specifications. A standard Mk 81 weighs approximately 113–119 kilograms in total and contains about 43.5 kilograms of explosive, according to published ordnance specifications, while JSR Dynamics has not publicly stated the precise explosive content of the IAF configuration.

A Mk 81-class blast-fragmentation warhead is intended principally for soft, exposed and fragment-sensitive targets, including radar installations, troop concentrations and petroleum, oil and lubricant facilities, according to US Air Force procurement documents. Other probable targets include parked aircraft, light vehicles, ammunition and fuel dumps, communications nodes, logistics facilities and lightly protected command posts.

The relatively small general-purpose warhead would not, by itself, make the Khagantak-243 an ideal weapon against deeply buried installations or heavily reinforced bunkers. Its principal operational value lies instead in accurately attacking vulnerable components of an enemy’s military network from a distance, including radars and air-defence support facilities whose destruction could open a route for subsequent strikes.

A range exceeding 140km could allow the launch aircraft to remain beyond many point-defence and shorter-range surface-to-air missile systems, although it would not necessarily place the aircraft outside all long-range air-defence envelopes. Mission planners would still have to consider enemy fighters, long-range radars, surface-to-air missiles and the possibility that the glide bomb itself could be intercepted.

When could it enter service?

Neither the IAF nor the developers have announced when the complete flight-test programme will conclude or when the Khagantak-243 will formally enter service. The announcement on Wednesday confirms the success of a drop trial, but it should not be interpreted as evidence that every separation, release-envelope, accuracy, seeker, electronic-warfare resilience and live-warhead validation has been completed.

BEL had previously indicated that series production would follow flight-testing, and the existence of a production-linked order could shorten the transition from acceptance to deliveries. If the latest test formed part of the concluding phase and no redesign is required, completion of trials and limited initial induction during 2027 appears plausible, but this remains an assessment rather than an officially announced schedule.