Aerostat radar to bolster air surveillance

[Veeru]

Aerostat radar to bolster air surveillance

New Delhi: Premier defence research organisation DRDO has indigenously developed an Aerostat radar which will help strengthen the air defence network of the armed forces and boost the country's surveillance capabilities.

Developed by DRDO's Agra-based Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment(ADRDE) laboratory, the Aerostat is undergoing final trials with full payload and is expected to be delivered to the armed forces in the near future, DRDO officials told PTI in New Delhi.

The Aerostat radars, which basically include sensors mounted on blimp-like large balloons tethered to the ground with long cables, are a long-standing requirement of the air force.

Aerostat radar to bolster air surveillance

The DRDO-made aerostat radar has been designed to rise one km above the ground and its payload includes electro-optical sensors and equipment for communication intelligence, they said.

The armed forces have till now relied on Israeli aerostat radar systems, which have been deployed along the western frontiers and allow the defence forces to keep a watch on flying objects well outside its territory.

The radars on Aerostats can be operated either in a 360 degree search mode and can stay afloat round-the-clock for four to five weeks at one go. They are much cheaper and easier to operate than AWACS.

India has recently acquired three AWACS systems from Israel and has plans of acquiring two more similar systems in the near future.

Both AWACS and Aerostat radars act as 'eyes in the sky' and help in enhancing the situational awareness of the theatre commanders to detect hostile aircraft and can be decisive in aerial combat operations by effectively positioning air defence fighters against them.

Aerostat radar to bolster air surveillance - India News - IBNLive

 

[Kinetic]

didn't understand the pic!!

The DRDO-made aerostat radar has been designed to rise one km above the ground and its payload includes electro-optical sensors and equipment for communication intelligence, they said.

The armed forces have till now relied on Israeli aerostat radar systems, which have been deployed along the western frontiers and allow the defence forces to keep a watch on flying objects well outside its territory.

The radars on Aerostats can be operated either in a 360 degree search mode and can stay afloat round-the-clock for four to five weeks at one go. They are much cheaper and easier to operate than AWACS.

We need large number of them for early warning, electronic and communication warfare and specially border monitoring.

 

[Future Weapon]

India's first balloon-mounted radar launched successfully

AGRA: India's first indigenously-developed balloon-mounted radar that will greatly enhance the surveillance capabilities of the armed forces has been successfully launched here, an official said.

The aerostat radar was launched from a military compound and will remain at a height of about one kilometre for the next two or three days. All its systems are working satisfactorily, Sudhir Gupta, the project director, said.

The helium-filled aerostat has night vision cameras and sound recorders, weighs around 300 kg, and can be reused.

Gupta said the aerostat can survey areas upto 20 km away and with avanced cameras, its range can go beyond 100 kms.

At the initiative of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Agra based Aerial Delivery Research Development Establishment designed and fabricated the high-tech platform.

The aerostat will be used for communication and surveillance. The platform integrates high-end technology, aerodynamics, balloon techniques, hydraulics and high-pressure cylinder technology, according to the scientists involved in the project.

The Indian army and air force hitherto rely on Israeli aerostats that are deployed along the country's western borders but the Indian version would be a cheaper option. They supplement the efforts of the air force's airborne warning and control systems ( AWACS )) that fly at a much greater height.

 

[rajgoynar]

Indigenous aerostat ready for manufacture



Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO’s) decade-long effort succeeded last week when it concluded trials of an indigenously developed aerostat system that will carry out surveillance and gather intelligence for all three defence services.

The medium-sized 32-foot-long aerostat with a capacity of 2,000 cubic metres was under development for the past four years. DRDO has spent around Rs70 crore on research and development of the device.

Sources said the two aerostats purchased by Indian Air Force from Israeli manufacturer Elta had not been performing well, which prompted development of the indigenous.

The Indian aerostat can carry electro-optic and COMINT (communication intelligence) payloads for surveillance. The system has been designed, developed and integrated by Agra-based Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment.

DRDO sources said they had not received any orders from the services yet, but the system was ready for manufacturing as per requirements of the armed forces and the paramilitary.




Indigenous aerostat ready for manufacture - India - DNA

 

[sudhir007]

YouTube - Indigenous Aerostat-mounted Radar System developed by India's DRDO [NDTV Report]