The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Air Force (IAF) have jointly carried out two flight tests of the indigenously-developed smart anti-airfield weapon.
The weapon was launched by an IAF aircraft from Chandan ranges at Jaisalmer, Rajasthan on October 28 and November 3, a Defence Ministry statement said. “In both the tests, the intended target was hit with high accuracy. The system is designed for a maximum range of 100 kilometres.”
Stating that two different configurations based on satellite navigation and electro-optical sensors have been successfully tested, the Ministry said that electro-optical seeker based flight test of this class of bomb has been conducted for the first time in the country. The electro-optic sensor has been developed indigenously.
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Electro optical configuration of the system is equipped with Imaging Infra-Red (IIR) Seeker technology enhancing the precision strike capability of the weapon, the Ministry explained.
The newly adapted launcher ensured smooth release and ejection of the weapon while advanced guidance and navigation algorithms, software performed as per the mission requirements, the statement said. “The telemetry and tracking systems captured all mission events throughout the flight. All the mission objectives were achieved,” it added.
The smart anti-airfield weapon has been designed and developed by Research Centre Imarat (RCI) in coordination with other DRDO Laboratories and support from IAF. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bengaluru has carried out weapon integration with the aircraft.
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Speaking after the test flight, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy said the performance and reliability of the weapon has been proven.