India orders additional SAT-SAAW glide bombs

The IAF first acquired quantities of SAT-SAAW precision-guided air-to-surface weapons in 2021. (Janes/Amit Kalra)

The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced an order for additional Satellite Smart Anti-Airfield Weapons (SAT-SAAWs) for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Under an INR8.11 billion (USD84 million) contract signed with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) on 23 September, the MoD said it will acquire 160 SAT-SAAWs and associated equipment under its Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) category.

The SAT-SAAW is a precision-guided glide bomb capable of being launched from platforms such as the Sepecat Jaguar, BAE Systems Hawk Mk 132, and Sukhoi Su-30MKI to neutralise enemy airfields from stand-off range, according to the MoD.

Developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the SAT-SAAW is the satellite-navigation-guided production configuration of the SAAW. The weapon uses an inertial navigation system (INS), supported by satellite-navigation updates, and does not require a terminal imaging seeker to complete an engagement.

Janes has previously reported that the weapon is comparable to US Small Diameter Bomb (SDB)-class weapons (125 kg class) and is capable of engaging fixed targets such as runways, bunkers, hangars, and other reinforced structures.

According to the MoD, the bombs on order “will have an indigenous content of 60%, including indigenised sub-systems such as an inertial measurement unit (IMU), long-impact-delay fuse, and twin-store carrier.

BDL is scheduled to deliver the order between fiscal year (FY) 2027–28 and FY 2028–29, the MoD added.

The SAT-SAAW can accommodate either a high-explosive penetration-cum-blast (HE PCB) warhead or a blast/fragmentation warhead, developed by DRDO's Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE).