Indigenous Anti-Airfield Bomb tested

harsh

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ndia has actually taken a lead in the development and testing of its 'First Fully Indigenised' Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW). Highly placed sources in the Union 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.

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.

It is to be mentioned that with the development of this weapon, India has reached a platform higher than any other country since even the United States of America, the only other country in the process of developing these kind of precision-guided glide bombs has failed to successfully test the same.

These Small Diameter Bombs (SDB) with a weight of 110 kgs being developed by US were though scheduled to enter production about two years back, could not be kicked off despite two different companies being entrusted with the development in two different phases.

Israel being yet another country as per the sources, which intends to sell these smart bombs and is already into marketing the same, interestingly is also yet to taste success in these weapons.

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 Rs 56.58 crores 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.

This Smart Anti-Air Field Weapon will lend a supreme power to IAF since the high explosive warhead is capable destroying even the steel reinforced concrete runways and bunkers etc of enemy with deep penetration capabilities making it impossible for the enemy aircraft to even take off while being controlled from the cockpit.Box: Is SAAW first completely 'Made in India' weapon?

Well, there are many firsts to Smart Anti Airfield weapon. Apart from being touted as the first 'in the world', the smart bomb is indeed the first hundred per cent 'Made in India' weapon. "All the prestigious missile and weapon systems etc always had imported components and even involved Transfer of Technology in many products, but only in SAAW, India can brag of complete indigenized production starting from the material to the technology as well as all the systems and the sub-systems," said the official adding that the user agency (IAF) is delighted with the success of SAAW from Jaguar while all its subsystems, aerodynamics etc have been successfully tested. Trials for wing functioning of SAAW were also conducted about eight months back in Rail Track Rocket Sled (RTRS) facility at Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL) at Ramgarh in Haryana as per the officials.

http://www.defencenews.in/article/Indias-first-fully-indigenous-Anti-Airfield-Bomb-tested-5333
 

HariPrasad-1

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OMG!!!!!!!!

This is really scary. One more bad news for our enemy. We are developing some weapons that will be the substitutes of tactical nukes. Imagine the demonstrating effect of just a 125 KG bomb that will make a air strip useless.

Bloody scary power. Has anybody witness the test of thermobaric round of Arjun developed by DRDO? That will make our enemy piss in their pant.
 

Chinmoy

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ndia has actually taken a lead in the development and testing of its 'First Fully Indigenised' Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW). Highly placed sources in the Union 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.

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.

It is to be mentioned that with the development of this weapon, India has reached a platform higher than any other country since even the United States of America, the only other country in the process of developing these kind of precision-guided glide bombs has failed to successfully test the same.

These Small Diameter Bombs (SDB) with a weight of 110 kgs being developed by US were though scheduled to enter production about two years back, could not be kicked off despite two different companies being entrusted with the development in two different phases.

Israel being yet another country as per the sources, which intends to sell these smart bombs and is already into marketing the same, interestingly is also yet to taste success in these weapons.

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 Rs 56.58 crores 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.

This Smart Anti-Air Field Weapon will lend a supreme power to IAF since the high explosive warhead is capable destroying even the steel reinforced concrete runways and bunkers etc of enemy with deep penetration capabilities making it impossible for the enemy aircraft to even take off while being controlled from the cockpit.Box: Is SAAW first completely 'Made in India' weapon?

Well, there are many firsts to Smart Anti Airfield weapon. Apart from being touted as the first 'in the world', the smart bomb is indeed the first hundred per cent 'Made in India' weapon. "All the prestigious missile and weapon systems etc always had imported components and even involved Transfer of Technology in many products, but only in SAAW, India can brag of complete indigenized production starting from the material to the technology as well as all the systems and the sub-systems," said the official adding that the user agency (IAF) is delighted with the success of SAAW from Jaguar while all its subsystems, aerodynamics etc have been successfully tested. Trials for wing functioning of SAAW were also conducted about eight months back in Rail Track Rocket Sled (RTRS) facility at Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL) at Ramgarh in Haryana as per the officials.

http://www.defencenews.in/article/Indias-first-fully-indigenous-Anti-Airfield-Bomb-tested-5333
Well it would not be the first in world, but given the range which has been stated in the report, it may be the first of the dedicated anti runway ammunition. A good news and development from DRDO..........:yo:
 

Mikesingh

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A strike distance of 100 km means we need not enter enemy airspace to bomb their airfields which are close to the IB! We can do that whilst flying well inside own territory.

The ones at Pasni, Faisal and Masroor near the Arabian Sea can be taken out from the sea by Jags/SUs at stand off distances from well out of Paki missile ranges .

This one should be a nice force multiplier!
 

Chinmoy

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A strike distance of 100 km means we need not enter enemy airspace to bomb their airfields which are close to the IB! We can do that whilst flying well inside own territory.

The ones at Pasni, Faisal and Masroor near the Arabian Sea can be taken out from the sea by Jags/SUs at stand off distances from well out of Paki missile ranges .

This one should be a nice force multiplier!
I would be bit skeptic about this 100 Kkm range. In that case it would be a glide bomb. But anyway a 10km range is also too good for ammunition like this.
Anyway, the most interesting part would be to know whether its a low altitude bomb like Durandal or could be used as a standoff weapon like ASM from higher altitude.
 

HariPrasad-1

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I would be bit skeptic about this 100 Kkm range. In that case it would be a glide bomb. But anyway a 10km range is also too good for ammunition like this.
Anyway, the most interesting part would be to know whether its a low altitude bomb like Durandal or could be used as a standoff weapon like ASM from higher altitude.
Looking to its weight and range, it appears to be a sand off weapon which is released from high altitude.
 

Chinmoy

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Looking to its weight and range, it appears to be a sand off weapon which is released from high altitude.
Yeah..... It has been mentioned that these are glide bombs, but only with a 110kg weight. I wonder what would be its mods-operand? Whether it would be something in line of Durandal or just like some mine dispersing weapon system.
 

Navnit Kundu

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These Small Diameter Bombs (SDB) with a weight of 110 kgs being developed by US were though scheduled to enter production about two years back, could not be kicked off despite two different companies being entrusted with the development in two different phases.

http://www.defencenews.in/article/Indias-first-fully-indigenous-Anti-Airfield-Bomb-tested-5333
I'm very glad that India has made headway in this technology but I'm not quite satisfied with the assertion that the US failed to develop and manufacture these bombs. They have inducted them long time ago, there is even a 3 year old animated marketing video of Raytheon advertising its SDB for sale.


There are other videos of planes actually dropping these bombs 8 years ago. Here :




They have even gone ahead to make ground launched varieties of these SDBs



The sad part is that if this weapon could be developed for a paltry sum of just 59 Crores, we should have done it earlier and we should fund more weapons programs instead of buying billions upon billions of imported weapons. 59 Crores is like spare change compared to the amount of money spend on election campaigns!
 

sasum

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US is developing High Velocity Penetrating Weapon (HVPW) to be integrated with F-35 and other aircrafts, later. These are miniature bunker-buster bombs, ostensibly can destroy China's 300+ nuclear bombs stored in underground tunnels.
These bombs can destroy any fortified structure including airfield. About SAAW, how about using highways to launch fighter jets?
http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/the-f-35s-new-bunker-buster-super-bomb-12933
 

Chinmoy

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I'm very glad that India has made headway in this technology but I'm not quite satisfied with the assertion that the US failed to develop and manufacture these bombs. They have inducted them long time ago, there is even a 3 year old animated marketing video of Raytheon advertising its SDB for sale.


There are other videos of planes actually dropping these bombs 8 years ago. Here :




They have even gone ahead to make ground launched varieties of these SDBs



The sad part is that if this weapon could be developed for a paltry sum of just 59 Crores, we should have done it earlier and we should fund more weapons programs instead of buying billions upon billions of imported weapons. 59 Crores is like spare change compared to the amount of money spend on election campaigns!
Actually what the report meant is about dedicated Anti Runway ammunition. SDB's are versatile weapons and can be used against variety of targets, but in case of an Airfield or destroying a runway, it might not be a good option.

Given the same weight category, I wonder what makes the DRDO one an anti runway bomb?
 

Navnit Kundu

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Actually what the report meant is about dedicated Anti Runway ammunition. SDB's are versatile weapons and can be used against variety of targets, but in case of an Airfield or destroying a runway, it might not be a good option.

Given the same weight category, I wonder what makes the DRDO one an anti runway bomb?
That's exactly the inconsistency I was trying to point out. It seems DRDO has made some weapon, but the author of the article is throwing around fancy terms interchangeably from all over to make it sound cool but it has actually made the article less contextual and actually inaccurate. For example, they have also used the phrase 'glide bomb' which is again a different phenomenon which is a hybrid between a ballistic missile and a cruise missile. They are calling it anti-runway bombs but it seems like bunker buster bombs because anti-runway bombs are usually in clusters of many small bomblets to make sure no part of the runway remains usable. The mode of operation being described in the article seems more like that of the JSTOW standoff weapon than a 'bomb'. So the author has mixed a lot of mumbo jombo jargon.

This is what they are talking about. Looks like a standoff missile, flies like a glide bomb, explodes like a SDB.



What it seems to me is that we have developed a bunker buster bomb to take out Pakistani nukes but we are trying to make people believe they are anti-runway bombs. Because I remember reading another news article just yesterday about India having developed anti-radar missiles. So we have the whole anti-nuclear preemptive package now.
 
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100 km range is more than ok but yeah I do doubt about the range. The more altitude aircraft can attain, the more will be the range of the bomb.
 

Chinmoy

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For example, they have also used the phrase 'glide bomb' which is again a different phenomenon which is a hybrid between a ballistic missile and a cruise missile. They are calling it anti-runway bombs but it seems like bunker buster bombs because anti-runway bombs are usually in clusters of many small bomblets to make sure no part of the runway remains usable.
I would like to differ in this quoted part. Glide bomb is not basically a hybrid of BM and CM. You could say it to be a derivation of explosive guided glider....

Moreover more then a bunch of cluster bomb I would like to see a heavy weight like Durandal which could turn the runway to a complete mess rather then blowing off just chunks of crust.
 

Navnit Kundu

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I would like to differ in this quoted part. Glide bomb is not basically a hybrid of BM and CM. You could say it to be a derivation of explosive guided glider....

Moreover more then a bunch of cluster bomb I would like to see a heavy weight like Durandal which could turn the runway to a complete mess rather then blowing off just chunks of crust.
It works using this mode of operation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boost-glide
 

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