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World Aviation Defense & Security News - India
 
 
India successfully tested new Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon
 
According to the Time of India, India has successfully achieved the development and testing of its 'First Fully Indigenised' Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW). Highly placed sources in the Indian ministry of defence shared exclusively that the SAAW was successfully test launched from a Jaguar aircraft towards the fag end of first quarter of May by the Aircraft & amp; Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) in Bangalore.
     
India successfully tested new Smart Anti Airfield Weapon 640 001This first "indigenised" smart anti-airfield weapon was successfully launched from IAF's Jaguar
     
Official sources revealed that the team comprising officials from the Indian Air Force and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had come to Jaisalmer for testing SAAW twice in the beginning of this month but had to abort the mission due to technical reasons. SAAW has been developed by DRDO for the IAF.

As per the officials, the test fire from Jaguar in Bangalore has been successful and was a single weapon trial.
The same shall now again be tested in Jaisalmer before being integrated with Su-30 aircraft for multiple weapon trials. It is to be mentioned that the development and trial of SAAW being kept under wraps finds a budget allocation to the tune of US$8 mn in the category of new projects in a written note submitted by the Union ministry of defence to the standing committee on defence (2014-2015).

SAAW finds a mention in this report on 'Demands for Grants of the Ministry of Defence for the year 2014-15 on Ordnance Factories and Defence Research and Development Organisation (Demand No. 25 & 26)' under the chairmanship of Maj Gen B C Khanduri (Retd.)

SAAW is also mentioned in the 'Current Programs' of the Mission and Combat System R&D Centre (MCSRDC) on the official website of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). MCSRDC is the R& D Center of HAL, established in November 2008 to design and develop Integrated Avionics Systems for Fixed and Rotary wing aircraft. The HAL site mentions of SAAW in current programs as 'Trial mod implantation of Smart Anti airfield Weapon (SAAW) on Jaguar DARIN-II aircraft.'

Officials shared that this SAAW weighs around 125-150 kgs and has a strike distance of 80-100 kms.

"It is a long-range, precision guided Air to Surface weapon and can be launched from Jaguar and Su-30 aircraft. In future, the same can be integrated to the French Rafale aircraft being imported by the IAF," said the official.

(Source: Time of India)

 

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