IAF to Integrate Indigenous 100+ km Range Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW) into Tejas, Su-30MKI and MiG-29 Fleet

In a major enhancement of its offensive capabilities, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is moving to equip its primary fighter aircraft with the domestically developed Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW).

This advanced precision-guided bomb, engineered by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), represents a substantial achievement in India's goal of self-sufficiency in critical defence technologies.

The SAAW is a 125 kg class smart weapon designed to neutralise high-value ground targets such as enemy runways, bunkers, aircraft shelters, and radar stations from a safe distance.

With a confirmed range of over 100 kilometres, it allows IAF pilots to engage fortified enemy installations without entering heavily defended airspace.

The integration of this weapon is planned for a wide array of the IAF's fighter fleet, including the Sukhoi Su-30 MKI, Mikoyan MiG-29, and the indigenous HAL Tejas Light Combat Aircraft.

This weapon system's sophisticated guidance mechanism is a key feature, employing a combination of satellite navigation and terminal electro-optical seekers.

This dual-guidance ensures high accuracy, reportedly within three metres of the designated target, which is crucial for effective strikes while minimising unintended collateral damage.

The development of the SAAW, which began in 2013, has undergone a series of successful tests, proving its capability to destroy targets with precision under various conditions.

The induction of the SAAW is a significant boost to the "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" (Self-reliant India) policy, which promotes the domestic design, development, and manufacturing of defence equipment. By reducing the dependency on foreign-sourced munitions, the nation enhances its national security and conserves foreign exchange.

According to defence officials, the operational flexibility offered by SAAW is a major tactical advantage, as its compatibility across multiple aircraft platforms allows for more dynamic and responsive mission planning against emerging threats.

The project, developed by DRDO's Research Centre Imarat (RCI) in Hyderabad, is now in production at Bharat Dynamics Limited.

The DRDO and IAF are reportedly exploring future versions of the weapon with extended range and enhanced warhead capabilities to ensure it remains effective in the face of evolving modern warfare technologies.

This development is celebrated by industry experts as a clear indicator of India's advancing expertise in creating world-class precision weaponry.

 

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[sanket]

Very nice, love to see ER up to 150 km & enhanced payload of SAAW version.

 

[Aayush Pratap]

Need to extend range to 200km

 

[Bikramjeet Goswami]

Need to extend range to 200km

Range depends on the altitude and velocity of the aircraft carrying the munition. 120 km is not an exact number; however, 120 kg is a rather small payload. Much higher payloads, like the Russian 3000 kg bombs, are needed to do serious damage. Range can also be enhanced by using a small rocket booster.

 

[OlegO]

Spice 250: range-100 км. weight- 130 kg. warhead- 75 kg. Spice 250ER - 150 km. Regards... https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-772114

 

[Aayush Pratap]

Range depends on the altitude and velocity of the aircraft carrying the munition. 120 km is not an exact number; however, 120 kg is a rather small payload. Much higher payloads, like the Russian 3000 kg bombs, are needed to do serious damage. Range can also be enhanced by using a small rocket booster.

Bruh, range doesn't depend on the aforementioned factors alone if you're trying to build a weapon with a 200km+ range. You would need to attach a turbofan that can give the round a powered flight to cover that kind of range.

 

[Sandeep]

Our indigenous SAAW missile is a very good, reliable, accurate and advanced missile which includes a very large, powerful and destructive warhead which can cause a huge amount of damage on any target because of its accuracy and reliability.

We should also continuously look at our indigenous missiles and bombs to find better and more modern way to improve it’s accuracy even more, cause a larger amount of damage and increase its range even further. We need to increase the range even further which is a more important capability we need to prioritise so we can hit deeper targets at the enemy without risking our pilot or jets.