With AWACS induction, IAF pushes for air dominance in South Asia
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With AWACS induction, IAF pushes for air dominance in South Asia
The Indian Air Force proposes to use its newly inducted Airborne Early Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) aircraft to achieve air dominance over South Asia.
"They are an extremely vital component of our combat potential and with it we will have enhanced situational awareness," Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major said at a ceremony held to mark the induction of the first AWACS aircraft in New Delhi.
"We will dominate the skies of our country and around with these aircraft," Major said. An AWACS is essentially a flying radar in the sky. Unobstructed by the curvature of the earth or other line-of-sight obstacles, it can provide a clear picture of the entire ground and air scenario picking up everything from moving vehicles to fighter aircraft in the sky.
Several countries in Asia including Japan and Saudi Arabia possess such platforms, India is the first Asian country to have a phased-array radar which has a range of over 400 km and can be used for tactical surveillance of airborne and surface targets and intelligence gathering to a radius of over 400 km.
Unlike the mechanically steered radomes of older AWACS, the Phalcon's solid-state phased array Elta EL/M-2075 mounted on a radome above the fuselage uses electronically steered beams. They provides a 360 degree coverage around the aircraft and it carries air force personnel on board to analyse the data and steer fighter aircraft.
AWACS have a three-fold advantage of flexibility-they can be deployed anywhere, provide much better coverage because they are mounted on an elevated platform and carry control systems and datalinks which can be used to vector fighter aircraft.
Calling the AWACS an 'extremely vital component of our combat potential', Air Chief Marshal Fali Major said the IAF was keen on acquiring more such aircraft but would like to study and integrate the first batch of three. The three AWACS are to form the newly-raised Number 50 squadron based in Agra.
The induction of the AWACS marks another step towards the IAF's quest for network centric warfare. The AWACS will be integrated with the Air Force Network (AFNET) a sophisticated communication network connecting all IAF bases and aircraft.
Over 100 IAF sites have been hooked on to the AFNET so far and 166 sites will be completed by August this year providing seamless connectivity between aircraft and bases and 'clear real time picture of the battlespace not only to the pilot but also to the man on the ground'.
In the next two years, the IAF would achieve total transparency of the battlespace, Major promised.
The Indian Air Force proposes to use its newly inducted Airborne Early Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) aircraft to achieve air dominance over South Asia.
"They are an extremely vital component of our combat potential and with it we will have enhanced situational awareness," Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major said at a ceremony held to mark the induction of the first AWACS aircraft in New Delhi.
"We will dominate the skies of our country and around with these aircraft," Major said. An AWACS is essentially a flying radar in the sky. Unobstructed by the curvature of the earth or other line-of-sight obstacles, it can provide a clear picture of the entire ground and air scenario picking up everything from moving vehicles to fighter aircraft in the sky.
Several countries in Asia including Japan and Saudi Arabia possess such platforms, India is the first Asian country to have a phased-array radar which has a range of over 400 km and can be used for tactical surveillance of airborne and surface targets and intelligence gathering to a radius of over 400 km.
Unlike the mechanically steered radomes of older AWACS, the Phalcon's solid-state phased array Elta EL/M-2075 mounted on a radome above the fuselage uses electronically steered beams. They provides a 360 degree coverage around the aircraft and it carries air force personnel on board to analyse the data and steer fighter aircraft.
AWACS have a three-fold advantage of flexibility-they can be deployed anywhere, provide much better coverage because they are mounted on an elevated platform and carry control systems and datalinks which can be used to vector fighter aircraft.
Calling the AWACS an 'extremely vital component of our combat potential', Air Chief Marshal Fali Major said the IAF was keen on acquiring more such aircraft but would like to study and integrate the first batch of three. The three AWACS are to form the newly-raised Number 50 squadron based in Agra.
The induction of the AWACS marks another step towards the IAF's quest for network centric warfare. The AWACS will be integrated with the Air Force Network (AFNET) a sophisticated communication network connecting all IAF bases and aircraft.
Over 100 IAF sites have been hooked on to the AFNET so far and 166 sites will be completed by August this year providing seamless connectivity between aircraft and bases and 'clear real time picture of the battlespace not only to the pilot but also to the man on the ground'.
In the next two years, the IAF would achieve total transparency of the battlespace, Major promised.