NEW DELHI, April 4 -- The defence ministry has initiated the process for the indigenous design and development of a 1000-kg aerial bomb akin to Mk-84 for the IAF, aiming to boost India's 'Aatmanirbharta' in the sector, according to senior officials.
The project is structured in two phases. The first involves design and development of six prototypes (live and inert), including associated tail units and equipment, they said.
The second is the procurement phase, which will commence with the issuance of a commercial Request for Proposal (RFP) to the qualifying development agencies.
The system is intended to be "compatible with both Russian and Westernorigin aircraft" currently operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF), a senior official said.
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