IAF To Get Advanced Indigenous Smart Anti-airfield Weapon

Indian Air Force is looking to acquire an advanced version of the Indigenous Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon, which would be fitted on almost the entire fighter jet fleet of the force, including the Su-30 MKI.

IAF To Get Advanced Indigenous Smart Anti-airfield Weapon

Indian Air Force is looking to acquire an advanced version of the Indigenous Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon, which would be fitted on almost the entire fighter jet fleet of the force, including the Su-30 MKI. A proposal from the Indian Air Force to get the satellite-guided version of the SAAW air launched glide bomb is expected to be discussed by the Defence Ministry soon. This would be able to hit targets with accuracy at 100 Km strike range.

SAAW, an indigenously designed and developed 120 kg class smart weapon developed by DRDO, is capable of engaging ground targets with high precision up to a range of 100 kms. The lightweight high precision guided bomb is one of the world-class weapons systems. SAAW is indigenously designed and developed by DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad has been developed with an aim of engaging ground enemy airfield assets such as radars, bunkers, taxi tracks, and runways etc.

The DRDO has also offered the SAAW missiles to the defence forces under the emergency procurement process to equip the forces rapidly for future conflicts. The Indian Air Force is looking to equip itself with multiple long-range weapon systems, including missiles and other systems.

History

The SAAW project was approved by the Government of India in 2013. The first successful test of the weapon was conducted in May 2016. Another successful test was conducted in November of the following year. This was followed by a series of three successful tests in December 2017. In September 2020, the SAAW was approved for procurement by the Indian Government for the Navy and the Air Force.

Research Centre Imarat

Research Centre Imarat (RCI) is a DRDO laboratory located in Hyderabad, Telangana. The lab is responsible for research and development of missile systems, guided weapons and advanced avionics for the Indian Armed Forces.