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India is inducting the first indigenously developed all-weather Airborne Early Warning
and Control (AEW&C) System. This is a major breakthrough for Indian forces.
India has become only the 4th country to successfully develop an AEW&C system.
In this video, Defense Updates will provide viewers with basic understanding of
AEW&C system, and focus on India’s indigenous implementation.
Airborne Early Warning and Control system basically have huge long distance radars mounted
on aircrafts. The radars are generally more powerful than those available in fighter or
bomber aircrafts. The airborne system is designed to detect
aircraft, ships and vehicles at long ranges and perform command and control of the battlespace
in an engagement. They mainly execute 3 duties:
1. Direct fighters and attack aircraft strikes against enemy assets or aircrafts in offensive role.
2. Alert ground stations and air defense forces
with information of incoming hostile aircrafts in defensive role. These systems are equipped
to provide Recognizable Air Surveillance Picture (RASP) to the Ground Exploitation Stations (GES).
3. Analyze and record intercepted communications of enemy.
These systems have 2 important advantages
against traditional ground based radars: 1. When used at altitude, the radar on the
aircraft allows the operators to detect and track targets and distinguish between friendly
and hostile aircraft much further away than a similar ground based radar.
2. Unlike ground based radar which are static, these system are much less vulnerable to counter-attacks
because of their mobility. This is why these are considered to be force
multiplier, and are also known as ‘eyes in sky’.
In 2003, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO)
carried out a joint study of the system-level requirements and feasibility of development
for an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEWA&C) system. The government then approved
the project for the development of the AEW&C system by DRDO.
Primary responsibility for the project was with DRDO's Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS),
which led the design, system integration and testing of the system. Electronics and Radar
Development Establishment was responsible for the design of the radar array. Defense
Electronics Application Laboratory, was responsible for the Data Link and Communication Systems
for AEW&CS. Brazilian-made Embraer-145 aircraft is used
as the platform.
The system developed by DRDO has the following features.
1. The radar consists of two back to back Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA)
arrangements, with an additional dedicated Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) array.
2. The ESM, Electronic Support Measures system will be able to track sources with a directional
accuracy of 2 degree RMS and a frequency accuracy of 1 MHz.
3. The Electronic Support Measures component will have complete 240 degree coverage and
have a database of up to 3000 emitters against which threats will be scanned.
4. CSM, Communications Support Measures will analyze and record intercepted communications
both inflight and post flight. 5. Self-Protection Suite (SPS) will have a
passive Missile Approach Warning System, a Radar Warning Receiver and countermeasures
dispensers. The SPS will be integrated with the ESM and CSM suite.
6. The aircraft supports Inflight refueling enabling it to cover large area for surveillance.
7. The aircraft will have SATCOM (Satellite Communication), and datalinks to pass on ESM,
CSM and radar data to ground stations and datalinks to pass on target information to
fighters. More than 40 other aircraft will be data linked together by the A E W & C aircraft.
India is building 3 systems of this type. The second one is in the final stages of tests
and certification, & third one is in last stages of development.
The indigenous AEW&C project aimed to supplement the larger and more capable ELW-2 0 9 0 AWACS
acquired by the IAF from Israel. India operates 3 of these, which provide 360-degree coverage
over a 400-km range. Two more are in the process of being acquired.
Noting the importance of AEW&C systems, India has taken further steps. Defense Acquisition
Council (DAC), in March 2016 cleared building of 2 AWACS, which will involve mounting indigenous
360-degree coverage, AESA radars on Airbus A-330.