Solar grp develops 125kg air bomb for NATO, Russian fighter aircraft

Nagpur: The Solar Defence And Aerospace Limited, a top Nagpur-based company in defence and explosives sector, has developed the first universal 125kg air bomb that could be used equally on NATO (Western) and Russian fighter aircraft apart from addressing technical, logistic challenges faced by the Indian Air Force.Solar group chairman Satyanarayan Nuwal provided information about the bomb recently in the presence of defence minister Rajnath Singh.The 125kg air bomb completed user trials on MiG-2000 fighter aircraft and received approval for fitment. Its integration on the Indian Air Force's Sukhoi-30MKI fleet was underway, and tests including adaptation and pit drop trials were expected to be completed soon.Until now, different types of bombs with the same capability had to be developed due to differences in suspension lugs, release mechanisms and avionics interfaces on NATO (Western) and Russian-made aircraft, creating complications in production, storage, certification and maintenance. Solar group's universal bomb addressed this by using adaptive suspension and interface architecture and remaining compatible with both NATO and Russian carriage standards, enabling fitment and use on various fighter aircraft without separate platform-specific modifications.The company started receiving international demand from such countries, and the option was expected to be cost-effective by eliminating the need for different bomb inventories.The air bomb project formed part of Solar group's expansion in the aerial munitions sector. The company previously manufactured artillery shells, rockets, warheads and propellants. The project aligned with the Atmanirbhar Bharat policy in the defence production sector and provided an indigenous alternative to importing bombs.