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* Aircraft can monitor troop build-up, movement 200 kilometres inside neighbours’ territory
By Iftikhar Gilani
NEW DELHI: Immediately after one of three aircraft procured from Israel arrived on Sunday, India has inducted the ‘Phalcon’ airborne early warning and control system into its air force squadron based in Agra, to “monitor military build-up and troop and aircraft movement nearly 200 kilometres inside Pakistan”.
On its arrival in India, the Israeli-built system mounted on a Russian-built IL-76 transport aircraft was inspected by Indian Air Force chief Fali H Major. The system is used for tactical surveillance of airborne and surface targets and intelligence gathering in a radius of over 400 kilometres. An electronically-steered beam provides a 360-degree coverage around the aircraft and it carries air force personnel on board to analyse data and steer fighter aircraft.
Officials here said the Phalcon was a tremendous ‘force multiplier’ in the current situation. “It can help monitor military build-up and troop and aircraft movement nearly 200 kilometres inside Pakistan while flying nearly 100 kilometres inside our own territory,” a news portal quoted Air Marshal ® AK Goel as saying.
India’s external spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), and the Indian Air Force’s fleet of Israeli-built Heron and Searcher-II drones are the only other platform offering such capabilities.
“AEWs have a threefold advantage of flexibility – they can be deployed anywhere, provide much better coverage because they are mounted on an elevated platform and carry control systems and datalinks, which can be used to vector your own fighter aircraft,” says Air Marshal VK Bhatia, India’s former western air commander.
India signed a $1.1 billion deal for three Phalcons with Israel in 2004. The first aircraft were to be delivered last year, but the delivery was held up by a few months. All deliveries are to be completed by next year.
The Indian Air Force is keen on acquiring three more Phalcons, and with negotiations said to be at an advanced stage, the deal is likely to be signed sometime this year.
By Iftikhar Gilani
NEW DELHI: Immediately after one of three aircraft procured from Israel arrived on Sunday, India has inducted the ‘Phalcon’ airborne early warning and control system into its air force squadron based in Agra, to “monitor military build-up and troop and aircraft movement nearly 200 kilometres inside Pakistan”.
On its arrival in India, the Israeli-built system mounted on a Russian-built IL-76 transport aircraft was inspected by Indian Air Force chief Fali H Major. The system is used for tactical surveillance of airborne and surface targets and intelligence gathering in a radius of over 400 kilometres. An electronically-steered beam provides a 360-degree coverage around the aircraft and it carries air force personnel on board to analyse data and steer fighter aircraft.
Officials here said the Phalcon was a tremendous ‘force multiplier’ in the current situation. “It can help monitor military build-up and troop and aircraft movement nearly 200 kilometres inside Pakistan while flying nearly 100 kilometres inside our own territory,” a news portal quoted Air Marshal ® AK Goel as saying.
India’s external spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), and the Indian Air Force’s fleet of Israeli-built Heron and Searcher-II drones are the only other platform offering such capabilities.
“AEWs have a threefold advantage of flexibility – they can be deployed anywhere, provide much better coverage because they are mounted on an elevated platform and carry control systems and datalinks, which can be used to vector your own fighter aircraft,” says Air Marshal VK Bhatia, India’s former western air commander.
India signed a $1.1 billion deal for three Phalcons with Israel in 2004. The first aircraft were to be delivered last year, but the delivery was held up by a few months. All deliveries are to be completed by next year.
The Indian Air Force is keen on acquiring three more Phalcons, and with negotiations said to be at an advanced stage, the deal is likely to be signed sometime this year.
