Testing of the Dardo III guided bomb has resumed following a decade-long suspension. (Argentina Air Force)
The Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Argentina: FAA) has resumed development work of the FAS-850 Dardo glide bomb, an FAA source with knowledge of the programme told Janes . Work on the project ended in 2014 due to lack of funding.
Flight tests, using an inert bomb casing mounted to a wing pylon of the IA-63 Pampa III prototype, have begun at the FAA's flight test centre at Córdoba. Testing is set to continue through 2025, including tests with both GPS guidance system and 500 pound (227 kg) explosive warhead.
The Dardo III is a jet turbine-powered munition with a nominal range of up to 200 km. The ordnance derives from the Dardo I, a bomb equipped with a rocket motor to allow greater target penetration, of which only a handful of prototypes were constructed. The subsequent Dardo II was a glide bomb with rectangular casing and two deployable wings and a range of up to 60 km.
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