DRDO successfully tests smart anti-airfield weapon

The Defence and Research Development Organisation has successfully tested an indigenous Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon used to destroy runways, bunkers, aircraft hangers and other reinforced structures.

New Delhi, Dec 24: The Defence and Research Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully tested an indigenous Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW) from an Indian Air Force aircraft, an official release said on Saturday.

Designed and developed in the country, the 120-kg class smart weapon is used to destroy runways, bunkers, aircraft hangers and other reinforced structures.

Its long standoff range of 100 km will allow the IAF to hit adversary airfields with high precision from a safe distance.

"The captive and release trials were tracked by radar and telemetry ground stations at the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Odisha during the entire duration of the flight. The performance of all systems was satisfactory with all mission objectives achieved," said the release.

The lightweight high-precision guided bomb is one of the world class weapons systems, the release said.

The government sanctioned the Rs 56.58 crore SAAW project in September 2013.

DRDO Chairman Dr S. Christopher congratulated the DRDO and the IAF teams for the successful mission.

In May, the DRDO conducted the first test on the weapon system from the IAF Jaguar DARIN-II aircraft in Bengaluru in Karnataka.

The test was carried out by IAF's Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE).

The trial mode mounting of the SAAW on Jaguar DARIN-II aircraft is manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

IANS