New Delhi: The government has provided a final nod to Mega Rs 10,990 Project of the Crore Crore to build aircraft six AEW & C (Warning-Warning and Control), which is very important in the same modern war “eyes in the sky”, to improve the supervision of IAF along the border with China and Pakistan.
The source said the Drdo project, which will require the coverage of the original AESA 360 degree coverage (an actively scanned array) radar at six Airbus-321 passenger aircraft which will be obtained from the existing Indian Water Fleet, approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) at Wednesday.
Textured by PM Modi, CCS has also cleaned a long-delayed Airbus-Tata project to build a 56 C-295 medium transportation aircraft at a cost of more than Rs 21,000 Crore (around $ 3 billion), as reported by TOI.
The AEW & C project, which was given the initial “receipt of the needs” by the Ministry of Defense in December last year, was very important because both Pakistan and China were far in front of India in this arena.
Under the project, the first flight test of AEW & C aircraft is now expected to take place in four years, with the entire project completed in seven years.
The IAF currently only has three Israeli Phalcon crew installed on Russian IL-76 transport aircraft, with a 360 degree radar coverage in the range of 400 km.
It also has two original ‘Netra’ Aew & C aircraft, with a radar coverage of 240 degrees original with a range of 250 km, installed on the smaller Brazilian embraer jet.
“New AEW & C aircraft will be a big upgrade on a network in terms of 360 degree coverage and a longer range.
A-321 aircraft will be purchased from Indian water with a much cheaper rate and then modified with the help of Airbus to be in accordance with indigenous radar and Other equipment.
All of their maintenance and services will be in India, “said a source.
AEW & C aircraft or AWACS can detect entry fighters, roaming missiles and drones long before land-based radar, friendly fighter directly during air fighting with enemy jets, and overseeing the signs and warships of the enemy forces.
As reported by TII before, IAF felt operational needs for more aircraft such as air battles with Pakistani fighters in February 2019 after cross-border Balakot air strikes.
Sustainable military confrontation with China in East Ladakh increasingly highlighted needs.