Indian AEW&C from Embraer goes to Western Border

India plans to base its indigenous Airborne Early Warning & Control system on the western border, Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne said today.

According to DRDO officials, the system would detect, identify and classify threats in the surveillance area and act as a command and control centre to support air operations.

After the operational requirements were firmed up between DRDO and IAF in 2007, the contract for three modified aircraft was finalised in August 2008. The first fully modified aircraft landed in Bangalore from Brazil a month ago.

Indian AEW&C ( Image courtesy - shephardmedia.com )

The second aircraft is slated to arrive in December and the third one next year.

The Air Chief Marshal and Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister V K Saraswat said all the three aircraft are proposed to be operationalised by the IAF in April 2014.

News Courtesy - business-standard.com

Indian Embraer AEW&C - More on Indian "Eye in the Sky"

Some more details on Embraer AEW&C -

The aircraft, with the indigenous Active Electronic Scanning Array (AESA) radar, will be an “eye in the sky.” The radar can look 240 degrees within a short time and has a range of 350 km. It can track more than 500 targets simultaneously.

Mr. Christopher, the Programme Director of the AEW&C system, said - “The important modes of operation of the system are surface surveillance and air surveillance. While the primary radar mounted on the aircraft is the AESA, the secondary surveillance sensor is the Identification of the Friend or Foe (IFF) system.The IFF system was developed by the CABS. The IFF determines whether the target, determined by the primary radar, is a friend or foe.” 

The most critical component in AEW&C is the AESA radar, which is developed by the Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (ERDE), Bangalore, and the antenna called Active Antenna Array Unit (AAAU), made by the CABS. The radar is the processor part of the AAAU.

Embraer AEW&C moving to its new home ( Image Courtesy - DRDO )

CABS engineers said it was a challenge for them to integrate the AEW&C system components with the aircraft, which had to be modified. The AAAU weighed 1.5 tonnes and it had to be mounted on the fuselage without affecting the aircraft’s stability.

News Courtesy - thehindu.com

Indian AEW&C Aircraft delivered by Embraer

After many delays and disruptions, India's Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C), dreams have finally taken off with the latest delivery of an AEW&C platform from Brazilian aircraft-maker Embraer.

India, on Thursday, took delivery of the Embraer 145 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft following the completion of a host of tests conducted by both Embraer and the Indian Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) which designed the phased array radar which sits atop the aircraft. The first of the three AEW&C aircraft comes equipped with India’s first-ever airborne Active Electronic Scanned Array (AESA) radar, giving it the capability to detect missiles and hostile fighters at all angles.

Indian AEW&C ( Image courtesy - shephardmedia.com )

This surveillance aircraft would now move to DRDO Labs, to be fitted with Mission Systems Avionics and will commence the developmental trials, after successful ground evaluation clearances. This new platform would give the Indian Air Force capability of operating both the longer range Israeli-made IL-76 Phalcon AWACS as well as the shorter range Brazilian EMB 145.

In another paralle-running project, as a follow-on contract worth $800 million, India in 2011 had ordered another two advanced Israeli Phalcon AWACS which will be delivered in 2015. IAF already operates three Phalcon AWACS, and is looking to increase the order to a total of twelve platforms.

Indian AWACS ( Image Courtesy - bharat-rakshak.com )

News Courtesy - thehindubusinessline.com

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