NEW DELHI: India has started moving on a plan to build a heavy aerial bomb for the Indian Air Force (IAF).The defence ministry has “issued an expression of interest (EoI) for design, development and procurement of 1,000-kg aerial bombs (akin to Mk-84) along with tail units and associated equipment under provisions of Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020”, said officials.The objective behind the project is to reduce India’s dependence on foreign defence companies and boost self-reliance.The project will be executed in two phases: the first involves design and development of six prototypes (live and inert) and the second is the procurement phase, which will start with issuance of a commercial Request for Proposal (RFP) to qualifying development agencies.The system is intended to be “compatible with both Russian and western-origin aircraft” operated by IAF, a senior official said.A total of “600 aerial bombs are planned to be procured,” the officials said. The estimated timeline for the project is approximately 2.5 years from issuance of EoI to the signing of contract.Last year in April, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had successfully conducted the release trials of 1,000kg class long-range glide bomb (LRGB) ‘Gaurav’ from the Su-30 MKI aircraft. During the trials, the weapon was integrated to multiple stations in different warhead configurations, with land targets on island. The trials successfully demonstrated a range close to 100 km with pin-point accuracy.Such LRGB is an air-launched, precision-guided weapon designed to destroy high-value targets (bunkers, airfields) from over 100 km away.The system was realised with the support of Development-cum-Production Partners — Adani Defence Systems & Technologies, Bharat Forge and various MSMEs.