IAF To Flight-Test 'In-House' Stand-Off Weapons This Month

[SajeevJino]

IAF To Flight-Test 'In-House' Stand-Off Weapons This Month



In March this year, I'd written about this never before set of three weapons shortly after they were first unveiled at the Aero India show in Bengaluru. The brainchild of the IAF's Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command, Air Marshal S.B. Deo, these weapons made their second appearance today at the IAF chief's Air Force Day reception.

The weapons now have names. The Waghnakh, an unpowered stand-off glide weapon, which has been through carriage (see arrow pointing to photo inset) and compatibility trials on a Su-30MKI will be test-dropped from the aircraft this month, Air Marshal Deo told Livefist today. Deo has developed the weapons in a private workshop that he receives support for from the air force. The weapons have so far remained concepts given that they have no official sanction and aren't routed through the established DRDO-DPSU route to service entry. However, Air Marshal Deo and DRDO chief Selvin Christopher today not only shared a warm hug, but also agreed to "work together" -- this could mean the DRDO getting involved and helping Air Marshal Deo get the weapons going as inductable platforms.

The second weapon is the Varunastra long-range anti-shipping missile (not to be confused with the identically named heavy weight torpedo under development by the DRDO), a weapon powered by a mini-engine. Specifications below:


And finally, the Vel light weight cruise missile, again for deployment from a Su-30MKI. All three weapons are built with low RCS construction and will sport low observable paint, says Air Marshal Deo.


The three weapons received a lot of high-profile interest, with the Defence Secretary receiving an extended briefing on the family of weapons. Their unusual development path, fully away from the traditional route has evoked justifiable interest. The question is -- will these weapons ever see operational service?

LIVEFIST: IAF To Flight-Test 'In-House' Stand-Off Glide Weapon This Month

 

[A chauhan]

Nice ! so the prime features are Light weight + Low Cost + Indigenous, but range ? experts please comment !! @ersakthivel @Yumdoot

 

[Yumdoot]

Unless an excuse to induct SDB and other low subsonic stuff from US this can be made to work.

If the IAF leadership is serious about this they are talking to the right people.

DRDO chief Selvin Christopher who has a great track record on Indigenous systems and Defence Secretary G. Mohan Kumar was the Defence Production Secretary prior to being the Defence Secretary. Passes muster with these strongmen then no reason for this to be done. Nearly all the tech is already present in India one way or the other.

I am not too confident about subsonic long ranged weapons based on GPS+INS only and that too with some of it not being programmable in flight. That is a limitation not a pilot load issue as is being claimed in the poster, esp. if you are trying to mate it to a WSO enabled Sukhoi. My personal sweet spot regarding range for subsonic stuff is the 100 km range.

 

[Shaitan]

1. Name: Wagnakh
Type: Standoff-range glide bomb
Range: 150 km
Power: NA
Features: Guidance - IN/GPS, Digital scene-matching

2. Name: Varunastra
Type: Anti-shipping cruise missile
Range: 270 km+
Power: 200 lb thrust, 850 kph speed
Warhead: 225 kg penetrator and blast fragmentation warhead
Features: Carbon composite body, Low RCS, Guidance - IN/GPS, TV Camera

3. Name: Vel
Type: Light weight cruise missile
Range: 270 km
Power: 90 kg thrust
Warhead: Penetration warhead
Features: Low Cost (half of Tomahawk), Carbon composite body, Low RCS, Guidance - IN/GPS, Digital scene matching

 

[Bheeshma]

None of them look like missiles and I am skeptical of 225 kg missile and 207 kg missile with 270 km range. Also 108 kg blast fragment is only useful against small corvettes not capital ships. Are the wing fixed?

 

[kurup]

None of them look like missiles and I am skeptical of 225 kg missile and 207 kg missile with 270 km range. Also 108 kg blast fragment is only useful against small corvettes not capital ships. Are the wing fixed?

The first picture in this thread shows the glide bomb being carried in the center-line station of MKI b/w the air intakes as part of carriage trials .

The only way it can fit there is with folded wings .

 

[sathya]

All 3 missiles look the same....