Glide bomb test successful

BHUBANESWAR: India on Friday successfully tested a new generation Glide Bomb from a fighter aircraft of Indian Airforce off Odisha coast paving the way for its early induction in the armed forces.
Defence sources said there rounds of indigenously developed light weight Glide Bomb was tested in the ranges of Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-sea in Balasore district.The Smart Anti Airfield Weapon (SAAW) was released from the aircraft and guided through precision navigation system. It reached the targets at greater than 70 km range, with high accuracies.

“A total of three tests with different release conditions and ranges were conducted and all were successful. Flight path, precision and other parameters of the bombs were monitored by the radars and other electro-optic systems stationed at the test range,” said a defence official, who was associated with the mission.
Unlike the conventional bombs which take a free flight after being dropped, guided bombs like SAAW have winglets along with on-board navigation and guidance systems enabling those to hit the target with high accuracy despite of their varied dropping heights.

“With the development of this weapon, India has achieved a significant milestone as the US, which is developing these kinds of precision-guided glide bombs, is yet to come up with the weapon of its standard,” said the defence official. Congratulating the team, Secretary of Department of Defence R&D and DRDO Chairman Dr S Christopher said the SAAW has performed excellently and it will be inducted into the armed forces soon.

Director General (Missiles and Strategic System) Dr G Satheesh Reddy said it is a major milestone in the indigenous capabilities to develop guided bombs.Meanwhile, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has congratulated the DRDO scientists and Indian Air Force for the successful tests.

The SAAW weighs around 125-150 kg 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 India’s all front line fighter aircraft including Jaguar and Sukhoi-30 MKI. The guided bomb has been developed by Research Centre Imarat (RCI) along with other laboratories of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Air Force.