Sudarshan
Sudarshan laser-guided bomb
TypeLaser guided bomb
Place of originIndia
Service history
In service2013
Used byIndian Air Force
Production history
DesignerAeronautical Development Establishment (DRDO), Indian Institute of Technology Delhi[1][2][3]
Designed2006
ManufacturerBharat Electronics Limited
Produced2013-present
No. built50+
Specifications
Mass450 kg (990 lb)
Effective firing range9,000 metres (9,800 yd)
Guidance
system
Beam riding
Accuracy10 m CEP[4]
Launch
platform

Sudarshan (Hindi: सुदर्शन “Krishna's Chakra”) 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),[5][6] for the Indian Air Force (IAF).[7][8][9]

Background

Laser guided bombs were first developed by United States in 1960s. Later, Russia, France, and Britain also developed them.[10] Laser-guided bombs are called "smart bombs" because they can follow a non-ballistic trajectory when laser designation of the intended target is done. A laser-guided bomb can hit its target with greater accuracy that ordinary dumb bombs. LGBs are manoeuvrable, free-fall weapons requiring no electronic interconnection to the aircraft. The bomb, once released by the aircraft, will seek the target and glide towards it using laser beam riding.[8] The Sudarshan is India's first indigenous laser-guided bomb kit. It is designed to improve the accuracy of air-to-ground bombing by the IAF. All the necessary on-board components have been developed by Indian industries for this weapon package.[11] The development of technology for producing laser guided bombs is part of the ongoing research in India towards achieving self-sufficiency in defense production.[12]

Design and development

The ADE won the project for developing an LGB in 2006. The project aimed to develop an advanced laser guidance kit for 450 kg (1000 pound) class dumb bombs to improve their accuracy.[1] The Sudarshan kit incorporates laser guidance developed by ADE for 450 kg (1000 pound) bombs to improve the accuracy of a conventional bomb.[13] The guidance consists of a computer control group (CCG), canards attached to the front of the warhead for steering and a wing assembly attached to the rear end to provide lift.[10]

The guidance kits for beam riding and providing an accurate flight path have been fitted at the front and rear ends of the bomb. The laser-guidance seeker, fitted on the nose of the LGB is a very critical component, which was designed jointly by IIT Delhi and ADE, with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) as the lead production agency. A laser designator is used to mark a target. The on-board seeker detects the laser light reflected from the target and signals the kit's control surfaces to guide it towards the designated target. The seeker provides information on the deviation of the laser sport from the centre line of the detector. Sudarshan has an on-board flight-control computer with microelectronic-mechanical systems-based rate gyros. It also has high-precision linear ball-lead-screw actuators.[1][14][15]

Testing

The ADE had successfully designed, developed and carried out the user trials of laser-guided bomb kits with the participation of the IAF.[1][16][17]

On January 21, 2010, it was reported that two flight trials had been conducted at the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, Balasore in Orissa, to test the effectiveness of the guidance and control systems of laser-guided bombs. The on-board systems in both the trials worked satisfactorily and had met the mission objectives.[18] The test was conducted by pilots of the Indian Air Force, who flew the aircraft and released the bombs as per prescribed standard operating procedures.[19]

On June 9, 2010, user trials of the laser-guided bomb kits were carried out at Pokhran test range with the participation of the IAF.[20] Flight tests have demonstrated the accuracy, reliability and performance of these precision air-launched bombs. The tests were conducted after extensive simulation, design validation and ground experiments followed by series of flight evaluations.[21][22][23][24]

Performance

The kit can guide a bomb within 10 m CEP from its otherwise 400 m to 1000 m fall off the target.[25] If dropped from normal altitude, it has a range of around 9 km.[1] A program to extend the kit's capability to further increase its range using GPS is ongoing. It is expected to rival the GBU-16 Paveway II in performance.[26]

The successful trials and flight tests in 2010 led ADE to further improve the bomb's accuracy. The Indian Air Force is upgrading a large number of unguided bombs to this standard based on the successful results.[16][24] Sudarshan will be in service with the IAF bombers squadrons of MiG-27 and SEPECAT Jaguar. Also, several other fighters in the IAF could carry these bombs for the air-to-ground attack tasks like Su-30MKI, Mirage-2000 and MiG-29.[9] It might also be used by the Indian Army for its long range artillery strike weapon and Indian Navy from an on-board launcher.[27]

Operators

India

  • Indian Air Force - 50 in service. In January 2013, the Indian Air Force asked the ADE to deliver 50 Sudarshans, with improved range and strike capabilities.[1][17]

Further development

ADE is developing a next-generation bomb (NG-LGB), which will address the problem of rolling of the bomb after its release. Its range will be increased to 50 km from the current glide-range of 9 km of Sudarshan, when dropped from normal altitude.[1][17]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Air Force orders 50 laser-guided bombs from ADE". The New Indian Express. 20 February 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
  2. ↑ "India develops first Laser Guided Bomb". Daily.bhaskar.com. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
  3. ↑ "India develops first Laser Guided Bomb". Ibnlive.in.com. Archived from the original on 2010-10-24. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
  4. ↑ "Sudarshan" (PDF). Technology Focus. DRDO. 18 (6): 5–6. December 2010. ISSN 0971-4413. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 December 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  5. ↑ Dehradun, Oct 20 (PTI). "India develops first Laser Guided Bomb". Deccanherald.com. Retrieved 2012-02-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ↑ Nitsi (2010-10-21). "India invents 1st Laser Guided Bomb". News.oneindia.in. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
  7. ↑ "India conducts flight trials of laser-guided bombs". Netindian.in. 2010-01-21. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
  8. 1 2 India develops first laser guided bomb, MSN News, archived from the original on 2010-10-23, retrieved 2012-02-18
  9. 1 2 "India successfully develops advanced laser guided bomb". News.xinhuanet.com. 2010-10-20. Archived from the original on October 24, 2010. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
  10. 1 2 India develops first Laser Guided Bomb, Silicone India News
  11. ↑ "India's first laser guided bomb – Sudarshan". IndiaTech5.in. 2010-05-23. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
  12. ↑ "31 Defence Research and Development Organisation" (PDF), Pursuit and Promotion of Science : The Indian Experience, Indian National Science Academy, p. 3, OCLC 52079109
  13. ↑ Limaye, Jayesh. "India Develops Laser Guided Bomb". Archive.techtree.com. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
  14. ↑ "The Laser Science And Technology Centre". DRDO. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  15. ↑ "Description of the mechanism". Indiatech5.in. 2010-05-23. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
  16. 1 2 Indian Military Review, 2012, Volume 3, No. 5, May 2012, Page 54, Precision guided munitions
  17. 1 2 3 Air Marshal (Retd) AK Trikha. "IAF's requirement of PGMs in the next decade". India Strategic. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  18. ↑ "India tests laser guided bombs successfully". News.rediff.com. 2010-01-21. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
  19. ↑ IndianMoD (2010-01-25). "India Tests Laser-Guided Bombs". Defencetalk.com. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
  20. ↑ Aroor, Shiv. "DRDO: Indian Laser Guided Bomb Kits Successfully Tested By IAF". Livefist. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  21. ↑ "DRDO's laser guided bombs tested successfully by IAF". IBN Live. June 9, 2010. Archived from the original on January 26, 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  22. ↑ "Laser guided bombs tested". Daily Excelsior. 9 June 2010. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  23. ↑ "DRDO's laser guided bombs tested successfully by IAF". Organisation for Asia-Pacific News Agencies. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  24. 1 2 "DRDO's laser-guided bombs display accuracy". Deccan Herald. 10 June 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  25. ↑ "Indian UAV Programmes". Technology Focus. Bulletin of Defence Research and Development Organisation. 18 (6): 5–6. December 2010. ISSN 0971-4413. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  26. ↑ "Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Made in India". Defstrat.com. 2010-11-04. Archived from the original on 2012-05-14. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
  27. ↑ "A 2008 news report". India-defence.com. Retrieved 2012-02-19.

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