India Tests Home-Grown Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon System

India has tested Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW) from a Jaguar aircraft at the beginning of this month.

"The SAAW was successfully test launched from a Jaguar aircraft towards the fag end of first quarter of May by the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) in Bangalore," TOI quoted unamed sources in the defence ministry as saying Monday.

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.

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.

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 (US $8.3 million) 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).

The HAL site mentions of SAAW in current programs as 'Trial mod implantation of Smart Anti airfield Weapon (SAAW) on Jaguar DARIN-II aircraft.'