India has started work on an active phased-array system for possible use in an indigenous airborne-early-warning (AEW) aircraft programme.
In a paper presented to a conference held in tandem with the Indian air show, the country's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) revealed that a "-long-range AEW, based on active phased-array technology, is being examined". This was reinforced when the defence ministry's chief scientific advisor, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, later said that the next series of tests being undertaken in India's AEW technology-demonstrator programme would "-not use a rotating dome".
AEW became one of the main talking points at the show when the Indians gave the first public outing of an experimental AEW system which it has been flying since 1989, with a rotordome mounted on the top of a British Aerospace 748 turboprop.
The 748 work now appears to be being overtaken by India's interest in phased array radar. The paper says that "-multiple active arrays conformally mounted on the sides, or arrays mounted inside a static dome will be used, depending on the aircraft chosen".
It is believed that secondhand Airbus A310s and the Ilyushin Il-76 are the prime contenders for the AEW aircraft role.
India has already obtained experience with phased array through the introduction of the Rajendra vehicle-mounted radar being used in association with the Akash surface-to-air missile.
Over $80 million has recently been pledged by the Government for continued work on AEW, and acquisition of the system has moved up the list of priorities for the Indian air force.
Kalam says that the Government still has to decide whether to develop the system locally, find a partner, or purchase off-the-shelf equipment - possibly as an interim measure.
Source: Flight International
