India’s Ministry of Defence announced on September 23 that it has entered into a contract with the government-owned enterprise, Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), to procure 160 Satellite Smart Anti-Airfield Weapons for the Indian Air Force, worth roughly 811 crores. The contract is a step towards augmenting the Air Force’s precision-strike capabilities and promoting a robust domestic defence production ecosystem. BDL is a state-owned defence company that manufactures guided weapons and other equipment.
BDL Contract Supports Indigenous Air-Launched Weapon Procurement
A satellite-guided weapon uses its positioning information to estimate the location and guide the weapon to programmed points. There are two possibilities depending on the weapon type: some cartridges use inertial navigation combined with satellite information, which means the weapons estimate a displacement between two waypoints based on an internal inertial navigation device. The fusion of the two-navigation mode allows better guidance continuity in a degraded environment. An anti-airfield weapon is designed for an airfield-related target.
Such cartridges need to be suited to the aircraft as well as specific mission planning and release procedures. They must meet preconditions such as accuracy, navigation capabilities, robustness, and compatibility with the launch platform. The statement also mentions that Indian defence manufacturers will be providing the supply of equipment to the armed forces. India has to develop industry and supply chains, along with maintenance skills, with respect to indigenous manufacturing. The timings of manufacturing, milestones, and operationalisation are subject to contractual obligations and the procurement process.
