DRDO successfully flight tests Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon

The Defence and Research Development Organization (DRDO) successfully flight tested Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW) from Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft at integrated test range in Chandipur, Odisha.
During the test, the captive and release trials were tracked by Radar and Telemetry ground stations at Interim Test Range during the entire duration of the flight. Besides, the performances of all systems of SAAW were satisfactory meet and all the mission objectives were achieved. 

About Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW)

• SAAW is an indigenously designed and developed 120 kilogram class smart weapon. It has been developed by DRDO.
• It is capable of engaging ground targets with high precision up to a range of 100 kms. Thus, it gives IAF edge to hit adversary airfields with high precision from a safe distance.
• The light weight high precision guided bomb. It is one of the world class weapons systems that can be used to destroy runways, aircraft hangers, bunkers and other reinforced structures.

Background

The Union Government had sanctioned the 56.58 crore Rupees for the SAAW project in September 2013. The first test on the weapon system was conducted by DRDO in May 2016 from the IAF Jaguar DARIN-II aircraft in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The test was carried out by IAF’s Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE). Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) had manufactured the trial mode mounting of the SAAW on Jaguar DARIN-II aircrafts.

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2016