Indian Air Force Expands AEW&C Fleet with 12 Aircraft

Why in the news?

  • The Indian Air Force (IAF) plans to procure 12 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft.
  • The acquisition is under two programs: six additional AEW&C systems on Embraer aircraft and six new systems on Airbus A-321 planes developed by DRDO.

Indian Air Force Expands AEW&C Fleet with 12 Aircraft

Details of Procurement

  • The first order includes six Embraer-based AEW&C systems (Netra Mk1A) with minor upgrades.
  • Aircraft to be procured from Embraer, with modifications by DRDO’s Centre for Air Borne Systems (CABS).
  • The second order involves Airbus-based AEW&C Mk2 systems, where Airbus handles aircraft modification, and DRDO develops equipment.
  • Negotiations with Airbus are ongoing, and six Airbus A-321 aircraft, transferred from Air India to IAF, await modification.

Major Joint Exercises Conducted by the Indian Army:

  • Purpose:
    Joint exercises demonstrate the Indian Army’s professional competence and enhance defence cooperation.
  • Scope:
    Exercises cover Counter-Terrorism, Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief, UN Peacekeeping, High Altitude, Desert, Urban, and Jungle Warfare.
  • Complexity:
    Latest warfighting practices, including Drone Warfare and Grey Zone Warfare, are integrated into realistic scenarios.

Major Air Force Joint Exercises:

  • Ex Veer Guardian:
  • First air exercise between India and Japan.
  • Ex PASSEX with France:
  • Joint exercise with French fighter aircraft, conducted in the Indian Ocean Region.
  • Ex Desert Flag-8:
  • First international participation of India’s Tejas aircraft at Al-Dhafra, UAE.
  • Ex Cobra Warrior:
  • A multinational air exercise held in the UK.
  • Ex Cope India:
  • Joint exercise involving the Indian
  • Air Force (IAF), U.S. Air Force (USAF), and Japan (observer), conducted at AFS Kalaikunda and Panagarh, India.
  • Ex Orion:
  • Multinational air exercise held in France.
  • Ex INIOCHOS:
  • First air exercise between India and Greece, held in Greece.
  • Ex Bright Star:
  • Joint air exercise between India and Egypt, conducted in Egypt.

What is AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control Systems)?

  • Known as ‘eyes in the sky,’ AWACS are air-borne radar systems mounted on aircraft for 360-degree scanning and surveillance.
  • They track enemy Air Defence systems and create an Air Situation Picture for aerial combat.
  • India has 5 AWACS:
    • Phalcon: Procured from Israel.
    • Netra: Indigenously developed AEW&C system by DRDO, first used in the 2019 Balakot airstrike, mounted on Embraer aircraft.

India’s UAV Drone Fleet:

  • Searcher 1 & 2: Israeli drones acquired in 1998.
  • Herons: Israeli drones for surveillance and intelligence gathering.
  • Lakshya: Indigenously built reusable aerial target system for air defence training.
  • Nishant: 340-kg UAV with 4.5-hour endurance, developed by ADE.
  • Daksh: Bomb disposal wheeled
  • vehicle, remotely operated within 500m.
  • Netra: Lightweight UAV for counter-terrorism surveillance.
  • Rustom Series: 3 models, including Rustom-2 (MALE) with 24+ hour endurance and up to 350 kg payload.
  • Ghatak: India’s first stealth combat UAV.
  • Predator-B: Weaponized Sea Guardian drones from the USA.

Sources Referred:

PIB, The Hindu, Indian Express, Hindustan Times