Now
this one is a good question.
My take. No. AFAIK they feel time for Sudarshan like close-in LGBs are gone. They'd prefer to release them from afar with a drone doing the lasing (bit risky business if you're in contested air).
TARA didn't come out if nowhere, I've been seeing pics of it for a long time now.
1st there was the 2nd winged version of PG-HSLD.
View attachment 16519
Then they started with range-extending all HSLDs (I dunno how it works with dumb-bombs)
View attachment 16518
Latest was TARA, using what looked like the PG-HSLD platform (TV & LG seek option).
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This i think all HSLDs are for low-payload specific-target strikes, while the old 450kg bombs are for large scale area bombing.
HEMRL Thermobaric Bombs Thermobaric Ammunitions Thermobaric Explosives (TBE) are one of the recent advances in the field of high explosives. HEMRL – DRDO’s laboratory has developed the technology o…
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So, here's the problem I see with your take, but before I would like to point out few things.
REK are basically ins/gps guided strap on kits meant to be attached to dumb bombs to increase range and precision. Basically our UMPKs. Only thing that they don't provide any kind of terminal guidance.
Now, here is the conflicting thing, on one hand you said there is no need of close in LGBs like munitions. And on the other hand it was mentioned that old 1000lbs bombs are for area bombing, which is essentially a get close and hit weapon. At this point MANPADS will take that aircraft down. There is no easy SEAD against MANPADS like passive system.
And why would they productionise non winged version of LRGB then??
If the future airspace is going to be more challenging, then it only makes sense to get only winged glide bombs due to their good range.
Here too, if we argue that we can mount a good SEAD/DEAD ops against enemy medium and long range SAMs, we can make a argument that PGHSLD/JDAM like bomb becomes a very valuable and cheap asset. It easily provides a standoff range range from 14-21kms even if launched from medium altitudes of 2-5kms. Most vehicle based army short range SAMs of PLA are around 15-20kms max.
Even the future of mass bombing would be multiple JDAM like kit equipped bombs on single pylon which would provide precision with range. Ofcourse IAF has too first place a massive order for the cost to be cheap enough. USAF regularly cluster drop jdams from its strike eagles and falcons to use them like a bomb run tactics.
One thing I would like to correct is that PGHSLD is nothing like a regular LGB, PGHSLD has ins/gps and is much better. Basically, you launch a PGHSLD in generalised direction and tell it to go to a certain area and it then looks for a laser point if its present for even more precision. While for LGB you have to throw it in such a way precisely that it's seeker end up looking the target and laser pointer for it to be guided to. Launch range of traditional LGBs is less than 12kms. And improper throw of LGBs make them duds in effect sense.
I don't remember the source but traditional LGBs have a very significant rate of failure.
My take is that something happened with PGHSLD probably and they went for TARA which will have same identical purpose with both winged and non winged version. Unless and until TARA doesn't come out to be rocket boosted. At which point, I don't know what the hell is going, but then again IAF managed to give orders for purpose built LRGBs but no news of getting precision kits for literally 1000s of HSLD bombs in its inventory.
Hopefully DRDO also make TB composition for HSLD and GP bomb casings as well. For now it has limited to old 1000lbs bomb casings.
