AWACS will change Asia's military dynamics

[SHASH2K2]

The Aircrafts will be on Vigil, and used for Surveilance and snooping. We wont keep the radars in training mode or anything as such, because it defeats the purpose I feel. Someone may elaborate

You are right . I am sure they will be on active missions to pick up signatures and pakistani planes or other movements . If we keep on operating in training mode we can never be able to use it in actual warfare. Training mode is just to hide real capability for other countries. Like we do in air exercise with other countries. we underperform our planes to actual capability specially for RADAR and avionics.

 

[nitesh]

IAF planning to induct 10 Airborne Warning and Control Systems - The Times of India

We will need 10 phalcons and 20 or more DRDO AWACS to complement the phalcons then we can provide a full proof air space all around India. IN should keep there fleet separately.

 

[Sri]

PTI confirms additional Phalcons..

Two Additional Phalcon AWACS for Indian Air Force: Press Trust of India | India Defence

 

[Patriot]

Saab Gets a Second Customer for Saab 2000 Erieye Airborne Early Warning (AEW) System

Saab 2000 aircraft carrying the Erieye Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) Radar system Photo: Peter Liander, Saab Group

The Saab group has been awarded a contract to deliver an Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) system comprising the Saab 2000 aircraft platform equipped with the ERIEYE airborne early warning radar system. The contract comprises a Saab 2000 aircraft equipped with the advanced ERIEYE radar system, ground equipment, logistics and support services, to be delivered over a period of 4.5 years. The identity of the customer has not been released but it is assumed to be one of the Gulf States. The number of aircraft to be delivered has not been released as well.

Earlier this year the UAE has ordered two smaller Erieye AEW systems based on the saab 340 platform. At the time official sources at the UAE explained the w340 is an interim solution, and that the country is still undecided on the long-term plans for its objective AEW capability, considering the Saab 2000, Boeing 737 and Northrop Grumman E-2D. Other nations in the region interested in acquiring AEW capability include Oman and Kuwait.

Another country that could be interested in such capabilities is South Africa where Saab sold the Gripen fighter aircraft and also operates local subsidiaries. In 2008 the use of Erieye was considered to bolster aerial surveillance and security during the World Cup games this year. However, the presence of such aircraft during the games was not reported. According to Saab, the Erieye airborne surveillance system in combination with the ground equipment provide a detailed picture of a situation which can be used in connection with, for example, border surveillance, rescue operations as well as in combating terrorism and organized crime.

"This contract can be seen as a further confirmation of our strong position in the world regarding not only the area of airborne surveillance but in systems integration and data fusion as well, says HÃ¥kan Buskhe," CEO, Saab. "This surveillance system will provide the customer with improved solutions for defense and civil security."

Saab's ERIEYE radar is currently operated by the Swedish Air Force and Royal Thai Air Force and the UAE Air Force (on Saab 340 platforms). Brazil, Mmexico and Greece operate it on the Embraer 145 platform. The only Saab-2000 sofar is Pakistan.








IAI Introduces: Panther UAV – Electrically Powered Tilt-Rotor VT-UAV - Defense-Update

 

[nitesh]

http://orbat.com/
Indian Air Force Update

Sparsh Amin

* At the moment two more Phalcons are going to be bought with plans for five more later on. I expect that these will be bought in batches of two to three with progressively more advanced versions in each batch and that the older version would be upgraded to the latest standard when they come in for overhaul. Already, the third and final Phalcon of the current batch is supposed to be more advanced than the first two. Also, the first Phalcon squadron is on its way to achieve full operational readiness by the end of the year.

* The Embraer based AWACS that you had mentioned is being developed by the DRDO. There have been several detailed TechFocus articles on the state of the project and the various technologies and subsystems that have been developed for it so far. The first airframe has been manufactured and is undergoing mechanical modification and testing in Brazil. The plans are to buy a first batch of three with a total of twenty in incrementally more advanced batches just like the Phalcons. I view these as complimentary to the Phalcons rather than mere gap fillers. The Phalcon's radar operates in the L-Band while the DRDO-AWACS's radar operates in the S-band - It may have a smaller range than the Phalcon but within that range it will generate more precise tracking information than the Phalcon due to the shorter wavelengths it operates on (As a general rule of thumb, for a fixed power level you will gain more precision at the cost of range as you go towards the shorter wavelengths of the S band from the longer ones of the L band).


* Given the kinematic and seeker performances of modern missiles, the quality of tracking information that can be generated from a modern S-Band radar is sufficient for fire control purposes. A modern AWACS in the S-band opens up some very interesting tactical possibilities: I envision a future wherein a PAK-FA/FGFA can take completely passive long range missile shots from speeds of Mach-1.5+ and altitudes of 60,000+ feet - The Phalcon will be the first to detect and track the target at 400+ kilometers. It will then hand it off to the DRDO-AWACS at around 200 kilometers by which time a PAK-FA/FGFA formation would have been moved into a missile launch position. The DRDO-AWACS then passes the initial targeting information to the PAK-FA/FGFA which launches the missile and provides it with continual guidance updates from the tracking information it receives from the DRDO-AWACS. All this for a notional fighter sized target. And it need not be just the PAK-FA/FGFA that takes the shot, any other aircraft will do. I only picked it for the extreme speed and altitude combination it will give me.

* All the pieces needed to do this are starting to fall into place. The only one on which there is very little information is the so called Operational Data Link that will glue everything together in the air. The ground based counterpart of the ODL is the AFNET (the Air Force Network) that became operational recently and together both will form the backbone of the IACCS (the integrated air command and control system). Each air command is to have one such system.

* There is a lot of talk about the IAF's declining squadron numbers. The thing to keep in mind is that the IAF is in the midst of transitioning towards larger 20 aircraft fighter/strike squadrons: All squadrons raised from new inductions (ongoing and planned) and all squadrons with upgraded aircraft are 20 aircraft squadrons. The other thing to keep in mind is that the types being phased out (21-M/FL and 23-BN) have poor serviceability rates due to their age and their squadrons are understrength due to attrition. Between the two each squadron is reduced to an effective dozen or so aircraft. So yes, when two of these smaller squadrons with poor serviceability and obsolete aircraft are replaced by one larger Sukhoi squadron with high serviceability the IAF becomes "understrength" by one squadron but that fact hides more than it reveals. However, no one in the media is interested in going into the details. It is much easier to indulge in high pitched sensationalism than do any research. The IAF on its part is more or less fine with this as it helps them get more money out of the bureaucrats. Note that I am not saying everything is hunky dory - just that things should not be exaggerated out of proportion.

* Talking of the Sukhois, Ajai Shukla has mentioned that two more Sukhoi squadrons are planned for the north-east: one at Hasimara and one at Bagdogra. This would bring the planned total to four. Currently there is one squadron based at Tezpur and one planned at Chabua. In the west the picture is somewhat unclear. There are Sukhoi squadrons based at Pune and Bareilly and planned at Halwara and Jodhpur. Around 130+ aircraft have been delivered so far to form six operational squadrons (2, 8, 20, 24, 30, and 31) and a seventh squadron is under raising. I know for sure that two of these squadrons are at Pune, one is at Bareilly, and one is at Tezpur. There might be a third squadron at Pune and a second squadron at Bareilly - as I said the picture is somewhat unclear in the west.

 

[Parthy]

DRDO to Test Homegrown AWACS Next Year

India is making substantial headway in its indigenous development of nine Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) and the first one will be ready for flight-tests by the end of 2011. Besides, the state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has also revealed that it is developing two Aerostats for additional surveillance and communications.

The premier state-owned defence firm DRDO has involved five of its laboratories including the Centre for Airborne Systems, Defence Avionics Research Establishment (DARE), Defence Electronics Research Laboratory (DERL), Defence Electronics Application Laboratory and Electronics and Radar Development Establishment to be a part of the homegrown AWACS project. The AWACS will be 85 per cent indigenous, sources said.

The homegrown AWACS will augment the capabilities of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in terms of air defence, surveillance and network-centric operations. The DRDO indicated that three of the systems would be integrated on board the Brazilian Embraer EMB 145 jet and delivered by 2014. A sanction to the tune of Rs.10,000 crore has been given for six AWACS to the DRDO and the delivery to the IAF will commence from 2014. However, the base aircraft for the rest of the six AWACS is yet undecided.

Added to the AWACS project, the DRDO is also developing two variants of military Aerostats for the Indian Armed Forces. The DRDO indicated that the first type of the Aerostat will carry military payloads up to an altitude of 1,000 meters and the second type up to a height of 5,000 meters. The radar of the 1,000-metre aerostat would have a coverage of 150 kilometres while that of the 5,000 metre one would be up to 200-250 kilometres. A 1,000-metre Aerostat was already afloat and its functions have been demonstrated to both the Army and Air Force. Aerostats would be used for surveillance, jamming of electronic systems, intelligence data gathering and for communication relay.

The homemade AWACS project has been mired with delays from the beginning. The Indian government cleared the development of a homemade AWACS in 2004 and under the proposal worth $450 million, the first prototype of the AWACS was to fly by 2007 and the AWACS inducted into the Indian Air Force by 2010.

However, the IAF pointed out that the Embraer EMB-145 platform cannot fly above 40,000 feet and besides, the indigenous AWACS's surveillance radar is only capable of 300 kilometres detection coverage of 240 degrees. All these factors make the Indian AWACS inadequate for effective surveillance. Hence, the IAF requested the selection of either a Boeing or an Airbus platform as the payload of the AWACS has increased from an earlier planned level of around 4500 kilograms to over 7000 kilograms, due to change in avionics and radar for the AWACS which is presently being developed. However, the DRDO warned that the Boeing or Airbus platform will inflate the price of the AWACS.

http://indiadefenceonline.com/2290/drdo-to-test-homegrown-awacs-next-year/

 

[plugwater]

India's first advanced radar system to roll out 2011-end

NEW DELHI: India's first indigenously-developed Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system is ready and is being sent to Brazil shortly to be integrated with an Embraer 145 jet .

The development is a major milestone in India's quest for self-reliance in advanced radars and, based on the success of this system, both the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Navy (IN) could acquire a number of them over the coming years. For the present though, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is developing three of them for the IAF, and has accordingly ordered three Embraer 145 long-range jets.

DRDO's Chief Controller (SI) Prahlada, one of India's most distinghished military technology scientists, told India Strategic defence magazine that the first Embraer is due to roll out in Jan 2011, and the Indian AEW&C radar will be integrated on it by 2011-end.

It should take a couple of years to fully certify the system.

Notably, the IAF and the IN need varying levels of radar capabilities, from short- to long-range and wide area coverage. The IAF has already taken possession of two Israeli Phalcon AWACs fixed on Russian IL 76 aircraft and the third is due early next year. Two more have been ordered. The IAF is also looking at the Boeing 737-700 AEW&C equipped with Northrop Grumman's Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar, the type already sold to Australia.

The Indian Navy is ordering 12 Boeing P8-I Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMAs) but it will also need some indigenous capability to complement this capability. It is also considering Northrop Grumman's carrier-borne Hawkeye 2D, an advanced version Hawkeye 2C now being used by the US Navy.

The AWACS and AEW&C systems are advanced radars, absolutely essential in contemporary defence requirements for long-range and precision engagement to neutralize hostile targets.

Both the Indian Navy and the IAF should require at least 20 each of them, although on different platforms and different capabilities.

According to Prahlada, the Indian AEW&C is an Active Phased Array Radar, derived from indigenous effort to "look some few hundred km" 360 degrees by rapidly scanning the area around it for airborne and ground threats.

The system is to be equipped with Identification Friend and Foe (IFF), Missile Atack Warning, Electronic Support Measures (ESM), Communication Support Measures (CSM) and secure satellite and wireless datalinks with Air Force Net (AFNET) and IAF and Navy fighters as well as the AWACS platforms.

The Embraer aircraft will be modified for mid-air refueling to extend their 3,000 km-plus range. Its sophisticated mission computers, already installed on aircraft like the IAF's Sukhoi SU-30MKIs, are indigenous.

DRDO's Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) has designed the indigenous radar, partly perhaps learning from Israel's Greenpine radar, one or two of which were sold to India some years ago without software.

Many European countries are keen for collaboration with DRDO, and with the US also now lifting sanctions on DRDO during the Obama visit, the development of the indigenous AEW&C is likely to pick up in terms of both capability and speed.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...-to-roll-out-2011-end/articleshow/6893054.cms

 

[plugwater]

The IAF has already taken possession of two Israeli Phalcon AWACs fixed on Russian IL 76 aircraft and the third is due early next year. Two more have been ordered

When did this happen ?

 

[black eagle]

@manc.. i think it should be " two more are planned to be ordered." They have not been ordered yet as far as i know...

 

[Patriot]

"Chinese AWACS will revolutionise air defence"

ISLAMABAD (PTI): The induction of Chinese-made airborne warning and control system aircraft in the Pakistan Air Force beginning next year will bring about a "revolution" in air defence operations, the air force chief said Sunday.

Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, currently on a visit to China, told state-run APP news agency that his force has plans to induct four Shaanxi ZDK-03 AWACS aircraft in its inventory.

Suleman recently attended the roll out ceremony in Hanzhong for the first ZDK-03 aircraft designed specifically for PAF.

He said countries without AWACS aircraft mostly rely on ground-based radar systems that have "very serious limitations in terms of their surveillance and detection".

An unrelated photo
of a Pakistani AWACS

Highlighting the importance of the AWACS, Suleman said they can detect "any object flying from the enemy side and you can take action to counter the threat".

There will be a revolution in PAF's air defence operations after the induction of surveillance aircraft, he said.

"There are very few countries in the world having AWACS technology in their air forces," he said.

Suleman further said that the delivery of AWACS aircraft from Sweden to Pakistan has also begun and the Chinese-made surveillance planes will begin joining the PAF from the first quarter of next year, he said.








http://www.brahmand.com/news/Chinese-AWACS-will-revolutionise-air-defence/5542/1/10.html

 

[Patriot]

PHOTOS: India's 3rd Phalcon AWACS Lands In Israel

http://livefist.blogspot.com/2010/12/photos-indias-3rd-phalcon-awacs-lands.html

 

[SHASH2K2]

Delays hit homegrown Awacs as Pak races ahead​

NEW DELHI: India's indigenous Awacs (airborne warning and control systems) or "eyes in the sky" project has been hit by delays even as Pakistan is fast closing the technological gap in this arena with China's active help.

Moreover, IAF's proposal to acquire two more Israeli Phalcon Awacs, after the first three were contracted under the $1.1-billion contract inked in March 2004, is yet to gather full steam. "There is in principle approval for two more Phalcon Awacs but negotiations are still in progress," said a top defence ministry source.

Awacs or AEW&C (airborne early warning and control) systems can detect incoming hostile cruise missiles and aircraft much before ground-based radars, as also act as potent force-multipliers by directing air defence fighters during combat operations with enemy jets. They can also track troop build-ups far away in enemy territory.

The critical requirement for Awacs had led the Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, to clear the Rs 1,800-crore indigenous project in October 2004, barely six months after the Phalcon deal.

The CCS had then set a time-frame of seven years for development of the homegrown mini- Awacs, under which AEW&C systems developed by DRDO are being mounted on three Embraer-145 jets obtained from Brazil for $210 million.

But these AEW&C planes are nowhere near even beginning their flight trials. The project completion date has now being extended to April 2014, which itself is set to be revised. "The aircraft and mission system availability is now scheduled for this year, with the integrated system availability pushed back to 2013," said a MoD source.

Once operational, these aircraft are slated to have a normal radar range of 250 km and a 375-km extended one, with a 240-degree coverage and five-hour endurance time.

The Phalcon Awacs, with a detection range over 400 km, too, have suffered from technical glitches. Under the complex project, the Israeli 360° Phalcon early-warning radar and communication suite has been mounted on Russian IL-76 heavy-lift military aircraft.

The first Phalcon Awacs was originally scheduled for delivery in December 2007, with the second and third ones following in September 2008 and March 2009. But the first arrived only in May 2009 and the second in March 2010, with the third yet to be delivered. Awacs are a crucial element in the plan underway to set up five nodes of IACCS (integrated air command and control system) across the country.

Read more: Delays hit homegrown Awacs as Pak races ahead - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...s-ahead/articleshow/7446009.cms#ixzz1DL4n65mR

 

[debasree]

i think we need more than 5 of these birds,8 will be more appropriate.


Mod Edit: Please avoid one liners.

 

[SHASH2K2]

i think we need more than 5 of these birds,8 will be more appropriate

Given the size of our country and hostile territory 8 is not even half of what we require . India has plans of about 20 AWAC including indigenous one while navy will require few more to patrol sea.

 

[Anshu Attri]

Embraer unveils new EMB-145 AEW&C platform for India


http://tarmak007.blogspot.com/2011/02/embraer-unveils-new-emb-145-aew.html

 

[shivendrashukla]

http://orbat.com/
The Phalcon's radar operates in the L-Band while the DRDO-AWACS's radar operates in the S-band - It may have a smaller range than the Phalcon but within that range it will generate more precise tracking information than the Phalcon due to the shorter wavelengths it operates on (As a general rule of thumb, for a fixed power level you will gain more precision at the cost of range as you go towards the shorter wavelengths of the S band from the longer ones of the L band).[/U][/B]

DRDO's radar operates both in L Band and in S Band. 240 Degree coverage will be in L band and the rest 120 degree (60 forward and 60 rear) will be in S band.

 

[shuvo@y2k10]

well this is a commanding job by drdo.hope the next batch of 6 aewcs for iaf will be on a larger platform like a-380 and it's radar will have enhanced performance.
i think once ready the indian navy might also be interested on aewcs developed by drdo.by the in total how many aewcs india needs to keep an eye on the entire indian landmass and the ior region.

 

[mayfair]

well this is a commanding job by drdo.hope the next batch of 6 aewcs for iaf will be on a larger platform like a-380 and it's radar will have enhanced performance.
i think once ready the indian navy might also be interested on aewcs developed by drdo.by the in total how many aewcs india needs to keep an eye on the entire indian landmass and the ior region.

More likely it'll be A-330 or IL-76 or possibly (remote) even 767. A-380 is too big and too expensive for operating as AWACS.

 

[ace009]

well this is a commanding job by drdo.hope the next batch of 6 aewcs for iaf will be on a larger platform like a-380 and it's radar will have enhanced performance.
i think once ready the indian navy might also be interested on aewcs developed by drdo.by the in total how many aewcs india needs to keep an eye on the entire indian landmass and the ior region.

A380? Have you seen one in person? I just traveled on A380 a couple of days ago. It is humongous! It is SOOO big that the Boeing 747 Jumbojet looks small next to it!! No way IAF or IN can use that as a AWACS platform. It just would be a bloody waste.
As a troop carrier on the other hand - hmmmm! :-D

 

[debasree]

and dont forget the navy will buy six carrier base observation aircraft allso.