Ministry of Defence Inks ₹811 Crore Contract with Bharat Dynamics for 160 SAT-SAAW Glide Bombs

The Ministry of Defence signed a ₹810.79 crore contract with state-run Bharat Dynamics Limited on Wednesday in New Delhi to procure 160 Satellite Smart Anti-Airfield Weapons and associated equipment for the Indian Air Force. The procurement contract was executed under the Buy category for indigenously designed, developed, and manufactured systems in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.

Weighing 125 kg and measuring 1.85 metres in length, the weapon has a range of up to 90-100 km depending on the conditions under which it is released, according to the company. The total disclosed order book over the last 3 quarters stands at Rs 3506.21 crore.

The air-to-ground precision weapons are engineered to neutralize enemy runways, radar installations, and aircraft shelters from stand-off ranges. Deliveries to the Air Force are scheduled to take place between the financial years 2027-28 and 2028-29, with initial batches expected to arrive sooner.

Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, the SAT-SAAW system features a declared operational range of up to 100 kilometres depending on release conditions. The weapon achieves high accuracy through an INS-GPS guidance mechanism combined with an optional seeker. Officials noted that the system achieves an accuracy rating of under seven metres with standard guidance and under three metres with seeker assistance.

The unpowered glide bomb relies on foldable wings, aircraft launch velocity, and altitude to navigate toward targets. This propulsion-free design significantly lowers unit costs compared to traditional cruise missiles, allowing combat aircraft to carry multiple munitions simultaneously. Integration plans cover the Indian Air Force fleet of Jaguar deep-penetration strike jets, Hawk trainer aircraft, and frontline Su-30MKI fighters, with prospective integration also planned for Rafale and Tejas Mk1A jets.

Under the terms of the procurement agreement, the weapon system will feature an indigenous content level of 60%. The manufacturing programme also mandates domestic production for critical sub-systems, including the Initial Measurement Unit, the Long Impact Delay Fuse, and the Twin Store Carrier.

The Long Impact Delay Fuse allows the warhead to penetrate hardened runways or reinforced structures before detonation occurs. Meanwhile, the Twin Store Carrier enables two weapons to be mounted on a single pylon, allowing a single Su-30MKI fighter to transport up to four glide bombs using an indigenous Smart Quad Rack, while vintage Jaguar jets can carry up to six.

Reporting indicates that the glide bomb system has previously undergone operational validation during field deployments, including utility during Operation Sindoor against adversary airfields. The initiative traces its origins to initial development milestones achieved in May 2016, followed by formal clearance from the Defence Acquisition Council chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in September 2020.

Initial clearance valued the proposal at approximately ₹970 crore for combined requirements across both the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force. The newly finalized contract represents the formal execution of the Air Force-specific procurement order six years after initial council approval, serving to diversify munition inventories away from imported equivalents such as Israeli SPICE and French HAMMER systems.

HAL accounts for Rs 2695.42 crore of the total Rs 3506.21 crore disclosed order book, representing approximately 77% of the disclosed backlog. The government sanctioned the Rs 56.58-crore SAAW project in September 2013.