India To Buy Two More Airborne Warning Systems

[RPK]

India Plans to Buy Two More Airborne Warning Systems - WSJ.com


NEW DELHI--India plans to acquire two large aircraft with airborne warning and control systems to add to the three that it already operates, Defense Minister A.K. Antony said Wednesday.

He added that the government-owned Defense Research & Development Organisation is working to make three airborne early warning and control systems for small aircraft as part of the defense ministry's "long-term integrated perspective plan."

Mr. Antony said also that the DRDO has submitted a proposal to develop airborne warning and control systems for large aircraft.

The minister, who was replying to a lawmaker's question in the upper house of parliament, didn't elaborate.

Airborne warning and control systems are seen as a force multiplier, allowing for the early detection of intruder aircraft, ships and vehicles.

Responding to another question, Mr. Antony said the defense ministry is carrying out technical evaluations of bids from global vendors to provide assault rifles to replace the current Insas rifle being used by the Indian Army since 1994-95.

The bids were submitted following a request for proposals by the defense ministry in November 2011.

The minister said the procurement of the new assault rifles will include the transfer of technology to India's government-owned Ordnance Factory Board.

Induction of Air Borne Warning Systems

The Long Term Integrated Perspective Plan (LTIPP) of Ministry of Defence envisages deployment of a mix of large i.e. Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft and small i.e. Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) System aircraft. While three AWACS already stand operationalized in Indian Air Force (IAF), there is a proposal for procurement of two additional AWACS. Simultaneously, DRDO is engaged in indigenous development of three AEW&C systems.

In addition to above, the project proposal for indigenous development of AWACS (India) has been submitted by Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) for Government's approval.

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri SHRI T.M. Selvaganapathi in Rajya Sabha today.

HS/HH/NN
(Release ID :90929)

 

[Contrarian]

Excellent and not enough. 5 Phalcons are needed to put 2 aircrafts on continuous patrol.

Ideally we need around 10 phalcons. But i suppose we would have to wait till DRDO comes up with their bigger versions, not the ones on the EMB platform.

 

[selvan33]

good news. but not enough. We need more phalcons.

 

[Skull and Bones]

Excellent and not enough. 5 Phalcons are needed to put 2 aircrafts on continuous patrol.

Ideally we need around 10 phalcons. But i suppose we would have to wait till DRDO comes up with their bigger versions, not the ones on the EMB platform.

FYI DRDO does have plans on making a 360 degree rotating radome platform.

 

[Ayush]

good news.

 

[IND151]

good news

IAF will have at least 10 AWACs before 2020

 

[jha]

Good... We should acquire at least 10 of the Phalcons. Dont expect to see the bigger AWACs from DRDO in this decade.

 

[Varunastra]

we need more phalcons and more mini awacs if you know what i mean

 

[The A-5]

Excellent and not enough. 5 Phalcons are needed to put 2 aircrafts on continuous patrol.

Ideally we need around 10 phalcons. But i suppose we would have to wait till DRDO comes up with their bigger versions, not the ones on the EMB platform.

2 x EMB AWACS operating in the area are better than 1 Phalcon.

IAF has expressed requirement for 15 DRDO AWACS thus far, with a scope of taking that number to 24.

I think 5 Phalcons will be enough - remaining 6-10 should be DRDO-developed 360-degree AWACS.

 

[Mirza Jatt]

good news.

 

[AUz]

India , right now , has just 2 to 4 AWACS? Thats in sufficient. 15 AWACS would be normal for a country like India.

PAF operates ~ 6 AWACS Aircrafts and the total number is expected to be 8.

Pakistan's naval AWACS are not included in the above number...

 

[The A-5]

India , right now , has just 2 to 4 AWACS? Thats in sufficient. 15 AWACS would be normal for a country like India.

PAF operates ~ 6 AWACS Aircrafts and the total number is expected to be 8.

Pakistan's naval AWACS are not included in the above number...

PAF's fighters are incapable of dealing with IAF jets by their own radar power therefore AWACS support is mandatory.

IAF MKIs are regarded as "mini-AWACS" for a reason - they can sustain battlespace management, long-range target detection/tracking and look-up/down simultaneously etc.

What are Pak navy's AWACS?

 

[sancho]

2 x EMB AWACS operating in the area are better than 1 Phalcon.

Exactly, it doesn't matter if the platforms have 360° coverage as long as they fly alongside the borders and more important is, that we rapidly increase the numbers of AWACS plattforms as a whole, because only when we have 2 or even 3 aircrafts operating at the same time at one border region, we can provide a full AWACS coverage!

For example, 2 x EMB 145 DRDO AWACS + 1 x A50 Phalcon AWACS, with overlapping flight path and sufficient numbers at the eastern borders, would provide good AWACS coverage. The EMB 145 would make 1 flight back and forth, while the A50 with more range, endurcance and additional crews could do longer missions, therefor would require only lower numbers.

As I said in the other thread, it would be nuts to allow DRDO to develop a 360° version on a new plattform again, because that only causes more delays, while we already are in disadvantage to Pakistan and China.

 

[arp2041]

PAF's fighters are incapable of dealing with IAF jets by their own radar power therefore AWACS support is mandatory.

IAF MKIs are regarded as "mini-AWACS" for a reason - they can sustain battlespace management, long-range target detection/tracking and look-up/down simultaneously etc.

What are Pak navy's AWACS?

i think he is talking about P-3c orion which is an ASW & reconnaissance ac rather than an AWACS.

 

[DARKY]

Exactly, it doesn't matter if the platforms have 360° coverage as long as they fly alongside the borders and more important is, that we rapidly increase the numbers of AWACS plattforms as a whole, because only when we have 2 or even 3 aircrafts operating at the same time at one border region, we can provide a full AWACS coverage!

For example, 2 x EMB 145 DRDO AWACS + 1 x A50 Phalcon AWACS, with overlapping flight path and sufficient numbers at the eastern borders, would provide good AWACS coverage. The EMB 145 would make 1 flight back and forth, while the A50 with more range, endurcance and additional crews could do longer missions, therefor would require only lower numbers.

As I said in the other thread, it would be nuts to allow DRDO to develop a 360° version on a new plattform again, because that only causes more delays, while we already are in disadvantage to Pakistan and China.

We simply cannot skip on this one.... It would be crucial step in integrated airdefense and early warning system.
As a matter of fact Larger AWACS of the class of phalcons would be required for BMD and early warning of the launch.

EMB-145 simply cannot cover as much due to the limitations on its load carrying capability, size and power handling ability.
The 360 degree AWACS India program is underway and we would soon see a platform as early as 2014-15... a total requirement for such AWACS has been put upto 6 I guess in addition to existing 3 phalcon systems making upto 9 large AWCAS platform while EMB-145 would cover gaps in the coverage and share the burden all the while providing a dual band coverage(both L and S band).

We aren't at any disadvantageous position as far as Pakistan is concerned the sorry state of their AWACS fleet and the level of their integration is well known.
About China... they have a much larger area to cover aswell.. however we cannot deny the fact that we cannot simultaneously provide coverage on both fronts with the limited number of AWACS we have.