DRDO's New SATNAV Satellite Guidance to Transform SAAW into A Highly Accurate, Intelligent, and Adaptable Precision Munition

India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is significantly enhancing its indigenously developed Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW) by equipping it with advanced Satellite Navigation (SATNAV) technology.

This critical upgrade will introduce mid-course guidance correction, fundamentally improving the weapon's accuracy and operational flexibility during complex strike missions.

The integration represents a major advancement in India's sovereign defence capabilities.

The new version of the SAAW, a 125 kg class precision-guided bomb, is engineered to provide superior precision against a diverse range of enemy targets from an increased stand-off distance.

This enhancement not only improves the weapon's accuracy but also strengthens its resilience against electronic jamming.

This development marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of India’s homegrown arsenal of air-launched precision munitions, moving towards greater self-reliance in critical defence technologies.

Initially designed as a glide bomb, the existing SAAW operates using a combination of inertial navigation and signals from foreign satellite systems like GPS and GLONASS, giving it an effective range of up to 110 kilometres.

The new SATNAV-based guidance system will allow the munition to receive real-time updates during its flight. This enables it to adjust its trajectory to accurately strike targets that may have moved or relocated, a feature that also guarantees high performance even in environments where enemy jamming has disabled conventional GPS signals by using India's own NAVIC satellite system, developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

This technological leap effectively transforms the SAAW from a simple "fire-and-forget" weapon into a highly intelligent and adaptable munition.

The ability to make dynamic in-flight adjustments makes it exceptionally suited for engaging high-value targets such as hardened bunkers, mobile launchers, and other time-sensitive objectives with pinpoint accuracy.

The Indian Air Force (IAF), which has already integrated the SAAW onto its key combat aircraft including the Jaguar DARIN III, Sukhoi Su-30MKI, and the indigenous HAL Tejas, stands to be the primary beneficiary of this upgrade.

The enhanced weapon will increase pilot safety by allowing them to launch it from ranges well outside the reach of enemy air defences. Furthermore, it reduces the need for pilots to maintain a direct lock on the target, enabling quicker engagement in heavily contested airspace.

Moreover, the upgraded SAAW is designed to seamlessly operate within a network-centric warfare environment. This means the weapon can receive updated target information while in flight from other sources like mission control or surveillance aircraft via secure data links. This capability allows for more coordinated, flexible, and responsive military operations.

The strategic shift to satellite-guided mid-course correction is a core part of DRDO's broader vision to achieve autonomy in defence technology and reduce reliance on international systems.

By incorporating ISRO's NAVIC into the SAAW's guidance package, the weapon system becomes more secure, reliable, and fully sovereign, ensuring operational integrity independent of foreign satellite networks.

The SAAW with SATNAV-based guidance is reportedly in the developmental trial phase and is anticipated to be ready for user trials with the IAF within the next year.

Upon its successful deployment, this advanced weapon will not only bolster the nation's defence but also serve as a technological foundation for the next generation of indigenous precision-strike systems, such as larger glide bombs and advanced cruise weapons.

 

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[Mc Addy]

Core weapons improvement seems to be the flavour of the year. Best wishes, as such versatile systems can do a lot to maintain peace; these are real peacemakers, not some trade deal with a 50% surcharge.

 

[Somnath Sinhababu]

You talk about navigation... apart from GPS what option do we have? NavIC has become a disaster. Maximum satellites have stopped working. No new satellites have been launched. ISRO is becoming like HAL day by day. WTF happened to them? I hardly hear about any significant development from ISRO. With all due respect, the present ISRO chief is useless. He is not performing his duty properly.

 

[Mc Addy]

Put AI into the weapon so it can independently, at final approach, seek the best target of opportunity and use a mode for its warhead that's best suited for it. Aircraft will be major soft-skin targets with a blast fragmentation warhead if this SAAW sees them in the final approach, as is the case with camouflage or concealed hangars or underground runways. So this must be an interference-free, operator-free, last-minute AI decision-making process in its mission computer. Then it will do real devastating work, like a fighter pilot in the final approach to a target, as many will then be seen hiding or unable to get out.

 

[Mc Addy]

Need AI in such weapons, where it can identify what is an easy, undefended, or moving target. If a target is seen on its way, it will attack it like a slow glide bomb. On its way to a target, it can see other high-value enemy assets as it glides over a large area. A small imaging device and AI need to be put in for mission execution. Then lethality and opportunity can both be utilized to the utmost. This is what a combat jet pilot is trained to do; upon seeing an easy, high-value target on a mission, they attack it. The course of a war has been turned by attacking targets of opportunity as they come. When a weapon is slow, gliding, and undetectable, it's best that it acts on its own fast.

 

[Sandeep]

This is very good news. We must keep on researching and developing new weapons and keep on improving the technology and capabilities.

We must never develop something and just continue using it as it is for the next few decades. To speed up critical projects they should tie up with the private sector a lot more.

 

[Leored]

How many satellites we have for guidance. Let's forget any support from other countries. I think someone should ask ISRO for this. Also atleast compare with China Russia or US. We are very far behind. In case of jamming this bombs will be useless.

 

[Mc Addy]

How many satellites we have for guidance. Let's forget any support from other countries. I think someone should ask ISRO for this. Also atleast compare with China Russia or US. We are very far behind. In case of jamming this bombs will be useless.

There is ring laser, intertial navigation and terrain maps besides these satellite ect . The cheapest is intertial navigation with a gyroscope in primitive tech time, now also same can be used to atleast reach certain target rich area and AI then can take over to hunt high value targets .All is okay in war, hit this or that upon gaining a window oppertunity.