Hyderabad: The day after the Pulwama attack, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) received directions from the highest authorities to prepare to strike back to avenge the deadly terror strike in the Kashmir valley.
Officials from the National Security Agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the three serving chiefs of the Indian forces, DRDO scientists and other stakeholders met the following day in a high-level security meeting in which it was decided in principle that the Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW), developed indigenously by DRDO, be used in retaliation.
DRDO scientists began working on assembling the SAAW to the mother aircraft, the French-origin Mirage 2000 jets that were used in the Balakot attack, according to the IAF. The weapon was specially made to hit the target with a high level of accuracy.
A few days before the operation, the DRDO’s SAAW was dropped and instead the Spice-2000 manufactured by the Israeli defence technology company Rafael, was used.
“Scientists at DRDO over two weeks began assembling the SAAW. The smart guide bomb that was assembled was relatively smaller (in size) when compared to the Israeli Spice-2000, if used it has the capability of escaping the enemy’s radar. With high accuracy, it has been developed with an equal class of up to 1000 kg. However, SAAW was replaced by Spice-2000,” said an insider.
The SAAW weapon successfully completed tactical tests with a high degree of accuracy.
The guided bomb (SAAW) is integrated with a live warhead and has destroyed targets with a high degree of precision in tests conducted at the Chandan range.
