The test of the Airborne Early Warning and Control
System (AEW&C), developed by India's Defence
Research and Development Organisation (DRDO),
took place at the San Jose dos Campos in Brazil
recently.
AEW&C is a radar fitted on a plane that provides
intelligence on not only enemy aircraft taking
off far across the border but also incoming missiles
and troop movement on the ground.
It is a force multiplier in the sense it can
enable quicker decision-making by troop commanders
for responding to threats before time.
"Maiden flight of the second fully modified
aircraft for the indigenously developed AEW&C
was held early April in Brazil," the DRDO
said in a statement adding that "the necessary
mission systems and components, including the
dummy AAAU (Active Antenna Array Unit) are successfully
fitted on board Embraer EMB 145I aircraft."
An elated DRDO chief V.K. Saraswat said: "Good
show, well done and congratulations!"
Saraswat credited team work for the success after
the "modified aircraft fitted with the dummy
antenna unit performed very well".
The flight marks an important milestone in the
AEW&C programme. The aircraft will be delivered
to India in June.The other mission systems will
then be integrated on to the aircraft, and mission
system flight trials are likely to commence from
November.
DRDO Chief Controller (Avionics) G. Elangovan
congratulated the team of Centre for Air Borne
Systems (CABS) and associated work centres and
also the team at Embraer.
CABS director S. Christopher, who is also the
programme director for AEW&C, said the system
had been indigenously developed in a consortium
mode with the help of DRDO and Indian industrial
partners.
CABS, a DRDO lab, is the nodal laboratory entrusted
with the task of delivering the AEW&C system.
The external mission systems were developed indigenously
and fitted on the aircraft. The rest of the internal
systems too will be integrated into the aircraft
on arrival to India.
DRDO has signed a contract with Embraer to procure
three EMB 145I, and this aircraft will be the
first to be delivered.
|