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DRDO To Partner With PVT Firms For Radar Projects | India Defence Online
DRDO To Partner With PVT Firms For Radar Projects
As India inches closer towards the development of the advanced long-range tracking radars (LRTRs), the local private and state-owned firms are gearing up to benefit from the outsourcing contracts worth millions of dollars that will come their way.
The state-owned Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has indicated that it intends to outsource the majority of the work in developing six to seven LRTRs worth $1.2 billion. The latest range of radars being designed will be an upgraded version of the LRTR already developed by DRDO in collaboration with Israel. These LRTRs will detect small targets in the 600-800 kilometer range.
Indian private and public sector firms that have evinced interest in grabbing a chunk of business from the LRTR project include state-owned Bharat Electricals Limited (BEL) and Electricals Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) and private sector majors like Larsen & Toubro and Wipro. The outsourcing work for the LRTR will include manufacturing ancillary gear to the sophisticated software needed to run various programmes.
The Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE), part of DRDO, develops radar systems and other related technologies for the defence forces. The latest feather in the cap of LRDE is the Long-range Solid State Active Phase Array Radar (LSTAR) programme. The LSTAR programme is a part of Indias prestigious Indias Airborne Early Warning and Control System programme. The LSTAR project has been approved by the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification. It has been integrated and tested on ground-based systems and qualified for airborne applications. The LRDE has developed the X-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) technology.
The AESA technology allows ships and aircraft to broadcast powerful radar signals while they themselves remain under stealth. The AESA radar could be fitted on the indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) by 2014 under the LSTAR project.
Indian Defence is also focusing towards more Battlefield Management Systems (BMS) and integrating the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. This includes the development of sensors, digitally enabled weapons, information grids which will enable the efficient functioning of the weapons and networking of data.
According to Indian Army officials, a fully digitized system has been integrated by the defence sector which is the artillery combat command and control system (ACCCS). The Shakti ACCCS has been inducted and it is a network of military grade computers which provides decision support for all operational aspects of artillery functions from the corps down to the batteries. This ACCCS will be operational within an year at all levels of the artillery, officials added.
Other significant developments that will enhance the network-centric capabilities of the Indian defence includes the design and development of an UCAV (unmanned combat aerial vehicle) which will not only conduct surveillance, gather intelligence and transmit it but will also help detect the target and destroy identified objects.The UCAV can be controlled at various command control centres.
Currently, India has radars like the Swordfish which has a range of 600 kilometres and the DRDO plans to upgrade the capacity of Swordfish to 1,500 km in a couple of years.
The LRDE has also produced the Indra-1 and Indra -2 radars that work on the Doppler principle. Indra-1 has a 50 kilometre range and is integrated with the fire control radar. Indira-2, an improvement over Indira-1, was designed as per the needs of the IAF which wanted a radar that can identify dense-formation targets and can be used even at high altitudes. LRDE has also developed the Bharani, a portable, short-range, light-weight radar which provides 2D surveillance, mainly in mountainous terrain, against aerial targets. Besides that, LRDEs portable Battle Field Surveillance Radar (BFSR) Short Range has been developed and it is an all-weather automated detection of intrusions system was needed. Over 1,400 BFSRs are now being used by the Army against moving surface targets. A BFSR radar that offers foliage penetration is under development.
The LRDE has also developed an electronically scanned C-Band Doppler Weapon Locating Radar for use by the Artillery Corps called Rohini which is a 3D, medium-range, vehicle-mounted surveillance radar that offers 360 degree coverage and has a range of 150-180 kilometre range. It is used against low, medium and high-flying targets. It is designed for the IAF and will also be part of the Akash missile system. LRDE has also developed Aslesha, a 3D low-level, light-weight radar designed for use in mountainous terrain and against aerial targets. There is also Rajendra which is a multi-function, phased array radar and is the primary sensor at the battery level for the Akash weapon system. It can perform extensive searches, track multiple targets and missiles as well as command and guide multiple missiles concurrently.
DRDO To Partner With PVT Firms For Radar Projects
As India inches closer towards the development of the advanced long-range tracking radars (LRTRs), the local private and state-owned firms are gearing up to benefit from the outsourcing contracts worth millions of dollars that will come their way.
The state-owned Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has indicated that it intends to outsource the majority of the work in developing six to seven LRTRs worth $1.2 billion. The latest range of radars being designed will be an upgraded version of the LRTR already developed by DRDO in collaboration with Israel. These LRTRs will detect small targets in the 600-800 kilometer range.
Indian private and public sector firms that have evinced interest in grabbing a chunk of business from the LRTR project include state-owned Bharat Electricals Limited (BEL) and Electricals Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) and private sector majors like Larsen & Toubro and Wipro. The outsourcing work for the LRTR will include manufacturing ancillary gear to the sophisticated software needed to run various programmes.
The Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE), part of DRDO, develops radar systems and other related technologies for the defence forces. The latest feather in the cap of LRDE is the Long-range Solid State Active Phase Array Radar (LSTAR) programme. The LSTAR programme is a part of Indias prestigious Indias Airborne Early Warning and Control System programme. The LSTAR project has been approved by the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification. It has been integrated and tested on ground-based systems and qualified for airborne applications. The LRDE has developed the X-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) technology.
The AESA technology allows ships and aircraft to broadcast powerful radar signals while they themselves remain under stealth. The AESA radar could be fitted on the indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) by 2014 under the LSTAR project.Indian Defence is also focusing towards more Battlefield Management Systems (BMS) and integrating the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. This includes the development of sensors, digitally enabled weapons, information grids which will enable the efficient functioning of the weapons and networking of data.
According to Indian Army officials, a fully digitized system has been integrated by the defence sector which is the artillery combat command and control system (ACCCS). The Shakti ACCCS has been inducted and it is a network of military grade computers which provides decision support for all operational aspects of artillery functions from the corps down to the batteries. This ACCCS will be operational within an year at all levels of the artillery, officials added.
Other significant developments that will enhance the network-centric capabilities of the Indian defence includes the design and development of an UCAV (unmanned combat aerial vehicle) which will not only conduct surveillance, gather intelligence and transmit it but will also help detect the target and destroy identified objects.The UCAV can be controlled at various command control centres.
Currently, India has radars like the Swordfish which has a range of 600 kilometres and the DRDO plans to upgrade the capacity of Swordfish to 1,500 km in a couple of years.
The LRDE has also produced the Indra-1 and Indra -2 radars that work on the Doppler principle. Indra-1 has a 50 kilometre range and is integrated with the fire control radar. Indira-2, an improvement over Indira-1, was designed as per the needs of the IAF which wanted a radar that can identify dense-formation targets and can be used even at high altitudes. LRDE has also developed the Bharani, a portable, short-range, light-weight radar which provides 2D surveillance, mainly in mountainous terrain, against aerial targets. Besides that, LRDEs portable Battle Field Surveillance Radar (BFSR) Short Range has been developed and it is an all-weather automated detection of intrusions system was needed. Over 1,400 BFSRs are now being used by the Army against moving surface targets. A BFSR radar that offers foliage penetration is under development.The LRDE has also developed an electronically scanned C-Band Doppler Weapon Locating Radar for use by the Artillery Corps called Rohini which is a 3D, medium-range, vehicle-mounted surveillance radar that offers 360 degree coverage and has a range of 150-180 kilometre range. It is used against low, medium and high-flying targets. It is designed for the IAF and will also be part of the Akash missile system. LRDE has also developed Aslesha, a 3D low-level, light-weight radar designed for use in mountainous terrain and against aerial targets. There is also Rajendra which is a multi-function, phased array radar and is the primary sensor at the battery level for the Akash weapon system. It can perform extensive searches, track multiple targets and missiles as well as command and guide multiple missiles concurrently.
