Why in News?

• Indigenously designed and developed guided bombs Smart Anti Airfield Weapon (SAAW) were successfully flight tested from IAF aircraft at Chandan range while indigenously developed Helicopter launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile “HELINA” has been successfully flight tested from Army Helicopter at 1400 hours in the range of Pokhran.

Smart Anti Airfield Weapon (SAAW):

• Indigenously designed and developed guided bombs Smart Anti Airfield Weapon (SAAW) were successfully flight tested from IAF aircraft at Chandan range.
• The weapon system was integrated with live warhead and has destroyed the targets with high precision. The telemetry and tracking systems captured all the mission events.
• This weapon is capable of destroying variety of ground targets using precision navigation.
• The weapon has undergone eight developmental trials till date and performance of system for different ranges under multiple launch conditions has been demonstrated.

HELINA:

• Indigenously developed Helicopter launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’ has been successfully flight tested from Army Helicopter at 1400hrs in the ranges of Pokhran.
• The weapon system has been tested for its full range.
• The ‘HELINA’ weapon system released smoothly from the launch platform has tracked the target all through its course and hit the target with high precision.
• All the parameters have been monitored by the telemetry stations, tracking systems and the Helicopters.
• The Missile is guided by an Infrared Imaging Seeker (IIR) operating in the Lock on Before Launch mode.
• It is one of the most advanced Anti-Tank Weapons in the world.

Significance:

• Cheap and specialized: SAAW is India’s attempt at building an indigenous weapon for the specialized operation. These precision-guided glide bombs are cheaper than conventional missiles since they do not have the complex propulsion systems that are the norm for cruise missiles.
• Enhancing the capacity of Indian forces: Depending on the operational requirements, these missiles could also be used against other ground targets to give Indian forces enhanced area-denial capabilities such as taking out bridges or other ground infrastructure