Bharat Dynamics Gets Rs 811 Crore Deal for 160 Anti-Airfield Glide Bombs for IAF

The Ministry of Defence on Wednesday signed a contract with Bharat Dynamics Limited for the procurement of 160 Satellite Smart Anti-Airfield Weapons (SAT-SAAW) along with associated equipment for the Indian Air Force at a total cost of Rs 810.79 crore under the Buy Indian - Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured category, according to an official statement.

The contract was signed in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. SAT-SAAW is an air-to-ground precision-guided glide bomb which can be launched from aircraft like Jaguar, Hawk & Su-30 MKI, and has the capability to neutralise enemy airfields from a long stand-off range. Indigenously designed and developed by the DRDO, the system will have an indigenous content of 60 per cent along with indigenisation of sub-systems like Initial Measurement Unit, Long Impact Delay Fuse and Twin Store Carrier to further boost Aatmanirbharta in defence, the statement said.

The delivery of SAT-SAAW is scheduled between 2027-2028 and 2028-2029. Its induction would certainly enhance the operational capability of the Indian Air Force to continue its unhindered operations and strengthen defence preparedness of the country, it added. These guided glide bombs are used to target runways, taxi tracks, reinforced bunkers, aircraft hangars, radar installations, fuel storage and communications facilities.

The attacks damage enemy airfields and are used to neutralise the adversary’s air power in early conflict stages. They allow fighter jets to strike deep inside enemy territory or contested airspace without entering hostile surface-to-air missile (SAM) envelopes. The glide bomb is also considered cheaper than tactical missiles because it relies on aerodynamic glide, as it uses the launch aircraft’s momentum rather than an onboard rocket or jet motor for propulsion. It is armed with a high-explosive, pre-fragmented deep-penetration warhead to inflict maximum damage to airfield infrastructure, with satellite navigation providing the bomb with high accuracy.

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