Indian EMB-145 AEW&C

[Sridhar]

Hmm...interestingly, Pak's Erieye is also mounted on the same aircraft...

Are you sure ? Aren't they SAAB 2000 Aircraft ...
SAAB 2000 Erieye AWE&C - a knol by Vijainder K Thakur
ASIAN DEFENCE: PAF gets first Saab 2000 Erieye AEW&C from Sweden

 

[Dovah]

Are you sure ? Aren't they SAAB 2000 Aircraft ...
SAAB 2000 Erieye AWE&C - a knol by Vijainder K Thakur
ASIAN DEFENCE: PAF gets first Saab 2000 Erieye AEW&C from Sweden

Yup, you're right, Erieye is mounted on Embraer 145 though, but Pak's are Saab 2000.

 

[Galaxy]

 

[Galaxy]

[h=1]Embraer unveiles new Indian AEW&C platform[/h]

 

[Sridhar]

[h=3]Tech treat awaits IAF; EMB-145I to ward-off conflicts in the region[/h]http://tarmak007.blogspot.com/2011/11/tech-treat-awaits-iaf-emb-145i-to-ward.html

 

[Galaxy]

First Flight Of India's AEW Aircraft Next Month

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2011.

Early next month, India's own AEW&C platform makes its debut flight. The first of three modified EMB-145 platforms will begin a schedule of flights to validate performance and handling. As reported on Livefist earlier, the start-up flight tests will be carried out in Brazil by Embraer and a team from the Indian Air Force's Aircraft & Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) in association with Brazil's Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil and India's CEMILAC.

The first flight test aircraft, scheduled to make its first flight next month (sources say there have been unspecified delays of ), is complete with Dorsal Unit (DoU) containing dummy electronics, ECS, IFR, auxiliary power units, internal fuel tanks, SATCOMs and antennae. India's Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) -- the laboratory spearheading the programme -- supplied Embraer with the dorsal unit (with dummy electronics) and the Ku-band SATCOM dome, while the Defence Avionics Research Establishment (DARE), CABS and the Defence Electronics Research Laboratory (DLRL) supplied in antennae for ESM, CSM and U/VHF.

While the EMB-145 with the configuration above will undergo flight tests in Brazil, the configuration for ferry to India a few months later will be the aircraft with only the dorsal pylon (minus the actual unit), ECS, IFR, APUs and internal fuel tanks.

Once the first aircraft reaches India sometime next year, it will undergo a rigorous flight testing schedule by CABS, ASTE and CEMILAC in association with Embraer. After a few flights in India, the aircraft will be integrated with a dorsal unit with real electronics and other mission system equipment, including operator workstations (five), avionics racks, rest crew seating, seats and cabling.

On June 23 last year, EADS Defence & Security (now Cassidian) announced that it had been awarded a contract to supply consultancy services to CABS for developing the AEW&C's system architecture with particular regard to certification and mission equipment optimisation.

Livefist: First Flight Of India's AEW Aircraft Next Month

 

[Galaxy]

 

[Galaxy]

 

[sathya]

http://livefist.blogspot.com/2011/11/first-flight-of-indias-aew-aircraft.html

first-flight-of-indias-aew-aircraft

Early next month, India's own AEW&C platform makes its debut flight. The first of three modified EMB-145 platforms will begin a schedule of flights to validate performance and handling. As reported on Livefist earlier, the start-up flight tests will be carried out in Brazil by Embraer and a team from the Indian Air Force's Aircraft & Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) in association with Brazil's Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil and India's CEMILAC.

The first flight test aircraft, scheduled to make its first flight next month (sources say there have been unspecified delays of ), is complete with Dorsal Unit (DoU) containing dummy electronics, ECS, IFR, auxiliary power units, internal fuel tanks, SATCOMs and antennae. India's Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) -- the laboratory spearheading the programme -- supplied Embraer with the dorsal unit (with dummy electronics) and the Ku-band SATCOM dome, while the Defence Avionics Research Establishment (DARE), CABS and the Defence Electronics Research Laboratory (DLRL) supplied in antennae for ESM, CSM and U/VHF.

While the EMB-145 with the configuration above will undergo flight tests in Brazil, the configuration for ferry to India a few months later will be the aircraft with only the dorsal pylon (minus the actual unit), ECS, IFR, APUs and internal fuel tanks.

Once the first aircraft reaches India sometime next year, it will undergo a rigorous flight testing schedule by CABS, ASTE and CEMILAC in association with Embraer. After a few flights in India, the aircraft will be integrated with a dorsal unit with real electronics and other mission system equipment, including operator workstations (five), avionics racks, rest crew seating, seats and cabling.

On June 23 last year, EADS Defence & Security (now Cassidian) announced that it had been awarded a contract to supply consultancy services to CABS for developing the AEW&C's system architecture with particular regard to certification and mission equipment optimisation.

 

[Virendra]

Good news. Can someone please compare it with the Phalcons we have? Any plans of improvising it to AESA?

Regards,
Virendra

 

[p2prada]

It is vastly inferior to both Erieye and Phalcon.

It is an AESA and there will be block wise increments as time passes. IAF and IN may operate at least 20-30 of them. Reaching the Erieye's capabilities may be an objective for the next 5-10 years.

I guess the first flight is on the 7th.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Bangalore: India's prying plane is ready. Called the Airborne Early Warning & Control System (AEW&CS), this tech beast comes in the form of a modified Embraer aircraft (EMB-145 I). Sources confirm to The New Indian Express that the first flight is officially scheduled on December 7 in Brazil. The Centre for Air Borne Systems (CABS), a Bangalore-based less-talked-about wing of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is developing systems to make the EMB-145 I a mean machine.


The Indian Air Force (IAF) will receive three such platforms in the next three years. The integration on ground-based systems on the lines of specifications, including the seating arrangements, is currently on at CABS. The first aircraft will make a touchdown in Bangalore coming June, with the second and third expected in October 2012 and December 2013 respectively. "They (CABS) will need at least six months to integrate the sub-systems (total seven), after the first EMB-145 Iarrives," sources said.


Once operational, India will join an exclusive club of nations owning home-grown eye in the sky systems. Currently, Wedge Tail (USA-Boeing), Phalcon (Israel-IAI) and Erieye (Sweden-Ericsson) are world leaders in prying-from-the-top-technology. India had inked a pact with Brazil in 2008 to modify the Embraer so as to integrate the Active Array Antenna Unit (AAAU) on the aircraft's fuselage. The platform could detect, identify and classify threats present in the surveillance areas and act as a command and control centre to support air operations. The project comes with an updated price tag of (to include new features for the IAF) of Rs 2,157 crore.


In an extremely crisp response to an Express email query, CABS Director S Christopher could only confirm that an Indian delegation is traveling to Brazil in the first week of June. When this paper spoke to G. Elangovan, DRDO's Chief Controller (Avionics) in Delhi, he said that the EMB-145 I will be a very cost-effective and cheapest platform, carrying mission systems, radar, communication units and electronic warfare systems.


The EMB-145 I will boost India's network-centric warfare capabilities. Apart from surveillance duties, it could track aircraft, UAVS and even detect radar signals. It has the ability to scan up to 400 km, giving the IAF recognized air situations thereby enabling battle field management. The aircraft can operate with a maximum crew of 12 people, including operators, rest crew, pilot, co-pilot and flight test engineer. It can fly non-stop for 10-12 hours with mid-air-refueling.

 

[agentperry]

it is a big leap forward. i think drdo should make a separate division to continuously do R&D in aewac region. India should focus more and more on this field afterall knowing more leads to doing better in long run.
i hope after validation of this system, navy and airforce can induct it in a a squadron strength. 20 each.

 

[sesha_maruthi27]

 

[SATISH]

It is vastly inferior to both Erieye and Phalcon.

It is an AESA and there will be block wise increments as time passes. IAF and IN may operate at least 20-30 of them. Reaching the Erieye's capabilities may be an objective for the next 5-10 years.

I guess the first flight is on the 7th.

Sir would you please explain to us the advantages held by erieye systems mounted on the SAAB 2000/ SAAB 340 over the Embraer mounted DRDO Radar?

 

[bhramos]

Some more Info from Livefist

 

[p2prada]

Sir would you please explain to us the advantages held by erieye systems mounted on the SAAB 2000/ SAAB 340 over the Embraer mounted DRDO Radar?

When it comes to platforms, it is more or less the same. The Saab 2000 gives more loiter time which is easily twice that of the Emb platform. 9.5 hours vs 5 hours. Other than that the Emb is faster, 1/3rd as much, can climb a bit faster and a few other aerodynamic advantages over turboprops Saab 2000. Saab has a 2Km lower service ceiling compared to Emb. That's a very good advantage to have.

As for radars, the most obvious is the search angles which is greater for Erieye compare to LRDE. Erieye provides 300 deg of SA(situational awareness) while LRDE provides 240deg. So, LRDE will have a bigger blind spot. Comparatively, Phalcon gives 360deg. Both aircraft have 5 operator consoles and both aircraft need to land for signals analysis as compared to Phalcon with 11 operator consoles and which does everything on the move. The reason why Saab and Emb need to land is because they don't carry powerful computers required to perform signal analysis.

Coming to freq bands, both are in the S band. Considering the Erieye has a bigger antenna size the Erieye will have a smaller beamwidth and better antenna gain. Peak power and avg power may be in the same class. But technical aspects of both systems are classified so we can only assume stuff. However we can note that the actual tracking range of LRDE radar will be 50 to 100 Km less than Erieye's claimed 350Km in dense electronic environments at smaller search angles, ie when one of the sides is active.

When it comes to software and maturity of systems I would simply place Saab ahead of LRDE as they have more experience and have been building Erieye's since 1987.

 

[p2prada]

This is how the inside looks like in the Emb-145

Greek air force I guess.

This is how our's will look like;

Phalcon;

 

[SATISH]

When it comes to platforms, it is more or less the same. The Saab 2000 gives more loiter time which is easily twice that of the Emb platform. 9.5 hours vs 5 hours. Other than that the Emb is faster, 1/3rd as much, can climb a bit faster and a few other aerodynamic advantages over turboprops Saab 2000. Saab has a 2Km lower service ceiling compared to Emb. That's a very good advantage to have.

As for radars, the most obvious is the search angles which is greater for Erieye compare to LRDE. Erieye provides 300 deg of SA(situational awareness) while LRDE provides 240deg. So, LRDE will have a bigger blind spot. Comparatively, Phalcon gives 360deg. Both aircraft have 5 operator consoles and both aircraft need to land for signals analysis as compared to Phalcon with 11 operator consoles and which does everything on the move. The reason why Saab and Emb need to land is because they don't carry powerful computers required to perform signal analysis.

Coming to freq bands, both are in the S band. Considering the Erieye has a bigger antenna size the Erieye will have a smaller beamwidth and better antenna gain. Peak power and avg power may be in the same class. But technical aspects of both systems are classified so we can only assume stuff. However we can note that the actual tracking range of LRDE radar will be 50 to 100 Km less than Erieye's claimed 350Km in dense electronic environments at smaller search angles, ie when one of the sides is active.

When it comes to software and maturity of systems I would simply place Saab ahead of LRDE as they have more experience and have been building Erieye's since 1987.

Sir so why didnt we go for a turboprop aircraft and why did we go for a jet powered aircraft? Is it because we have a huge area to cover or because jet powered aircraft operate in higher altitude?

As we have seen in the Airawat program it was a radome arrangement instead of a blade arrangement.....why di we choose the dorsal blade arrangement over the triangular arrangement?

So will DRDO AWACS with 240 degree coverage be integrated with the Phalcons to give them a full sector 'eye in the sky' functionality to negate the blind spots or will the DRDO AWACS function as a seperate individual unit?

 

[p2prada]

Sir so why didnt we go for a turboprop aircraft and why did we go for a jet powered aircraft? Is it because we have a huge area to cover or because jet powered aircraft operate in higher altitude?

As we have seen in the Airawat program it was a radome arrangement instead of a blade arrangement.....why di we choose the dorsal blade arrangement over the triangular arrangement?

So will DRDO AWACS with 240 degree coverage be integrated with the Phalcons to give them a full sector 'eye in the sky' functionality to negate the blind spots or will the DRDO AWACS function as a seperate individual unit?

Hey, please don't call me sir. I am a Bleach fan like you.

I don't really know the exact reason on why a jet was chosen. A jet is always a superior platform. But it's fuel consumption is greater. However I am guessing we can install much more powerful power plants in order to power the electronics which the DRDO AEW&C has in plenty. There is always higher upgrade potential and the fact that a jet can fly better over the great mountains compared to turboprops. The only disadvantage is it is more expensive to maintain and that it has greater loiter time.

The Dorsal blade arrangement is superior when it comes to such smaller platforms. You see at any one time only one of the 2 radars is turned on. So, while the AEW is flying parallel to the border only one side emits and 120deg is quite good. This provides more power to the T/R modules and enables greater search ranges. A triangular arrangement will simply increase costs and there is a major weight penalty and such small aircraft cannot afford it.

Airawat is for bygone times. It is more in the range of E-2C. This setup no longer fits IAF requirements or most other air forces as a matter of fact.

The Erieye or LRDE type of AEW&C do have blind spots, but flying the right way will negate this. The Navy cannot use this kind of setup because they need to scan the entire sky. So, they need a triangular setup. As for interoperability with Phalcon etc, yes our AEW&C will be integrated into our defence network. The LRDE AEW&C is supposed to datalink with 40 air assets apart from ground assets. Phalcon can be one of them. Hopefully the number can be doubled. Current orders are for 4 platforms and IAF may be looking at an option for 20 more.

Phalcon is a different beast altogether. Israel is going for a smaller Gulfstream platform while we will stick to IL-76.