High Speed Low Drag Bomb | |
---|---|
Type | Precision-guided general-purpose bomb |
Place of origin | India |
Service history | |
Used by | Indian Air Force |
Production history | |
Designer | Armament Research and Development Establishment (DRDO) |
Designed | 2013–present |
Manufacturer | Munitions India Limited |
No. built | 5000 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 100 kg (220 lb) 250 kg (550 lb) 450 kg (990 lb) 500 kg (1,100 lb) (additional RTU/BTU: ± 25 kg) [1] [2] |
Length | 1.90 m (74.80 in) [3] |
Warhead | |
Warhead weight | 110 kg ± 5 kg 170 kg ± 5 kg |
Detonation mechanism | Time fuze with electric/mechanical delay |
Operational range | 30 km from 10 km altitude 21 km from 5 km altitude 13.5 km from 2 km altitude |
Flight altitude | 10 km to 150 m |
Guidance system | Mid-course: Fibre-optic gyro inertial navigation system with GPS/NavIC satellite guidance Terminal: Semi-active laser homing |
Accuracy | 3 m to 30 m CEP |
Launch platform |
The High Speed Low Drag (HSLD) bomb is a family of new generation short range air-dropped precision-guided munition that is currently being developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). This general-purpose bomb is made for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and can be used against the destruction of strategic high value enemy infrastructure from stand-off distances. [4] [5] HSLD is comparable to Mark 80 series of bombs used by United States Air Force (USAF).
Between May and June 2017, multiple test were conducted successfully for 450 kg and 500 kg class general purpose bomb (GPB) as well as of precision guided high speed low drag (PGHSLD) munition. [6] [7]
The Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), [8] Pune is the primary agency that started developing HSLD with the help from other DRDO laboratories to upgrade the conventional free fall unguided ordnance used by the Indian Air force (IAF) fighter pilots while Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) is the lead production agency. The development started with the aim to replace the older generation imported general purpose bombs that impose huge drag loss on fighter aircraft used by the IAF. The HSLD bomb is specially designed to productively use the higher speed of up to Mach 1.1 and wider flight envelope of newer generation NATO and Russian origin as well as Indian made aircraft. High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) developed the conventional type warhead that features blast, fragmentation and shaped charge for bunker buster role which uses Dentex as primary explosive for HSLD 450 and Torpex-4B mixed with RDX that act as explosive booster for HSLD 500. [9] By feeding the target coordinates, the warhead can be used to effectively destroy runway, railway track, bridge, industrial facility, dock and bunker while able to work in the absence of GNSS input due to satellite jamming. [10] The family of HSLD comes in two versions namely a general purpose bomb (GPB) and a precision guided high speed low drag (PGHSLD) unit under three different weight class category which features semi-active laser homing and anti-jamming satellite navigation antenna. HSLD is designed to carry a nose extension unit (NEU) with fixed canard for lift, stability and two different types of smart tail unit (STU) with individual independent fins controlled by a flight control unit (FCU) attached to a telemetry module to cover the whole spectrum of mission profile. The STU features a retarder tail unit (RTU) that is for low-level bombing missions, while a ballistic tail unit (BTU) is for strategic high level bombing. [11] [12] [13] [14]
HSLD can be launched from variety of aircraft that are under IAF inventory like Dassault Mirage 2000, Mikoyan MiG-29, SEPECAT Jaguar, Sukhoi Su-30MKI and HAL Tejas. IAF has already successfully tested PGHSLD 500 from Su-30MKI platform. [15]
Ministry of Defence (MoD) gave green light to start mass production of 500 kg general purpose bomb by Munitions India Limited at Ordnance Factory Khamaria. On 17 January 2022 under the guidance of a team from HEMRL and ARDE, the first two bombs were carefully filled with primary and secondary warhead fillings. Each GPB carries 10,300 steel shells of 15 mm diameter. Each shell can target an area of up to 50 m from place of detonation. [16]
Two successful developmental trials were conducted in 2013 to prove the capability of the munition with all development related works to be completed by 2014. [17] From 22 May 2017, ARDE and IAF conducted a series of carriage as well as carriage release trials (CRT) for High Speed Low Drag 500 kg class unit, with both general purpose and precision guided variant at Pokhran range, Rajasthan. In initial carriage trial, the bomb carried sensors, telemetry and data logger while during the separate CRT session, satellite guidance units were added which flew on Su-30MKI from Jodhpur Air force Station. The bomb touched the carriage limit of 1041 km/h (0.85 mach) at 150 metre altitude on Su-30MKI that performed a 6.5 g full roll manoeuvre during the first GPB 500 trial while the PGHSLD 500 separation was carried out from an altitude of 5 km at a speed of 900 km/h (0.73 mach). Both bombs cleared the flight envelope and completed all the required parameters without any form of mechanical damage during the high speed release from the aircraft. The trials were conducted with the help of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Indian Air Force Test Pilot School and Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC). [18]
The KAB-500L is a laser-guided bomb developed by the Soviet Air Force, entering service in 1975. It remains in service with the CIS and post-Soviet Russian Aerospace Forces.
The HAL Tejas is an Indian single engine, delta wing, light multirole fighter designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in collaboration with Aircraft Research and Design Centre (ARDC) of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. It was developed from the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme, which began in the 1980s to replace India's ageing MiG-21 fighters but later became part of a general fleet modernisation programme. In 2003, the LCA was officially named "Tejas". It is the smallest and lightest in its class of contemporary supersonic combat aircraft.
The Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) was an Indian Ministry of Defence programme for the research and development of the comprehensive range of missiles. The programme was managed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Ordnance Factories Board in partnership with other Indian government political organisations. The project started in 1982–83 under the leadership of Abdul Kalam who oversaw its ending in 2008 after these strategic missiles were successfully developed.
A general-purpose bomb is an air-dropped bomb intended as a compromise between blast damage, penetration, and fragmentation in explosive effect. They are designed to be effective against enemy troops, vehicles, and buildings.
The Mark 81 is a general-purpose 250-pound (110 kg) bomb. It's the smallest of the Mark 80 series of low-drag general-purpose bombs.
Astra is an Indian family of all weather beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation. Different missiles of this family are capable of engaging targets at varying distances of 500 m (0.31 mi) up to 340 km (210 mi). Astra Mk-1 has been integrated with Indian Air Force's Sukhoi Su-30MKI and will be integrated with Dassault Mirage 2000, HAL Tejas and Mikoyan MiG-29 in the future. Limited series production of Astra Mk-1 missiles began in 2017.
The BrahMos is a medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarines, ships, fighter aircraft or TEL. It is a joint-venture between the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Russian Federation's NPO Mashinostroyeniya, who together have formed BrahMos Aerospace. The missile is based on P-800 Oniks. The name BrahMos is a portmanteau formed from the names of two rivers, the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia.
The HAL Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) is an Indian programme to develop a fifth-generation stealth, multirole combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy which will also include sixth-generation technologies. The design of the aircraft is carried out by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is expected to be produced by a public-private joint venture between the DRDO, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), and an Indian private company. The development cost is estimated to be around ₹15,000 crore.
The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a two-seater, twinjet multirole air superiority fighter developed by Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi and built under licence by India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). A variant of the Sukhoi Su-30, it is a heavy, all-weather, long-range fighter.
Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE) is a laboratory of the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), India. Located in C.V. Raman Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka, its primary function is research and development of radars and related technologies. It was founded by S. P. Chakravarti, the father of Electronics and Telecommunication engineering in India, who also founded DLRL and DRDL.
A precision-guided munition is a guided munition intended to precisely hit a specific target, to minimize collateral damage and increase lethality against intended targets. During the First Gulf War guided munitions accounted for only 9% of weapons fired, but accounted for 75% of all successful hits. Despite guided weapons generally being used on more difficult targets, they were still 35 times more likely to destroy their targets per weapon dropped.
The Indian Air Force has been undergoing a modernization program to replace and upgrade outdated equipment since the late 1990s to meet modern standards. For that reason, it has started procuring and developing aircraft, weapons, associated technologies, and infrastructures. Some of these programs date back to the late 1980s. The primary focus of current modernization and upgrades is to replace aircraft purchased from the Soviet Union that currently form the backbone of the Air Force.
Sudarshan is an Indian laser-guided bomb kit, developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a DRDO lab with technological support from another DRDO lab Instruments Research and Development Establishment (IRDE), for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Iron Fist is an Indian Air Force exercise held at Pokhran, Rajasthan. It has been held twice: 2013 and 2016.
The Rudram is a series of air-to-surface ground attack and anti-radiation missiles in development by the Defence Research and Development Organisation of India. It can be launched from a range of altitudes with large standoff distance for destroying enemy surveillance radars, communication stations and bunkers. It will be manufactured jointly by Bharat Dynamics Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited after trials and introduction. DRDO also involved Adani Defence and Aerospace under Development cum Production Partner programme for mass production.
The DRDO Glide Bomb is a product of the Defence Research and Development Organisation to deploy a standardised medium range precision guided weapon, especially for engagement of targets from outside the range of standard anti-aircraft defenses, thereby increasing aircraft survivability and minimising friendly losses.
The DRDO Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW) is a long-range precision-guided anti-airfield weapon developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is designed to be capable of engaging ground targets with high precision up to a range of 100 kilometres (62 mi).
The HAL Tejas Mark 2, or Medium Weight Fighter (MWF), is an Indian single-engine, canard delta wing, multirole combat aircraft designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in collaboration with Aircraft Research and Design Centre (ARDC) of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). It is a further development of the HAL Tejas, with an elongated airframe, close coupled canards, new sensors, and a more powerful engine.
This article consists of projects of the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
The HAL HLFT-42 is an Indian Lead-in fighter trainer currently under development by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Designed as a next-generation supersonic trainer jet, serving as an advanced trainer for upcoming HAL Tejas Mk2 and HAL AMCA Fighter jets. Notably, The HLFT-42 will also be used as a fully-fledged fighter jet to perform combat missions. HAL unveiled the design of the scale model of the HLFT-42 at the 14th edition of Aero India (2023), which was held in Bangalore.