First you said
4.The current Indian program is only for 3 DRDO AEW&C. 2 of which will be delivered to the AF, one retained by the AF for further work & continued research into AEW&C tech. A flying testbed.
5. The reason is the second tranche of AEW&C (6+) will be much larger, with larger antenna (think Phalcon class, with 360 degree coverage) and will require a new plane, beyond the Embraer 145.
Then
The truth is more prosaic. The IAF wanted a platform that could not just back up the Phalcon but also handle all the activities its larger peer does. CABS’s mission architecture for the AEW&C does that, and after that the IAF has settled down.
All a larger aircraft will do is provide more radar range (useful in itself), more battle management capability (more OWS). But tradeoff is in terms of costs and engineering hours/flight hour. The smaller AEW&C like the EMB-145I hits the sweet spot between a turboprop one and a much larger Phalcon. This is what ELTA is pitching with the G550.
The IAF may well choose to stick with a smaller plane because the turn around times for each sortie, and operating costs keep them happy. The radar, onboard systems can be improved further as CABS keeps one testbed with themselves.
The basic point is that this DRDO AEW&C gives India options. The ability to field its own mission platform which can be scaled per requirement.
If IAF is satisfied with the platform then why order only two and wait for the second tranche of AEW&C (6+) on much large aircraft?
Delays hit homegrown AWACS, Pakistan races ahead with China help
Rajat Pandit, TNN Feb 8, 2011, 03.57am IST
The CCS had then set a time-frame of seven years for development of the homegrown mini- Awacs.The project completion date has now being extended to April 2014, which itself is set to be revised. “The aircraft and mission system availability is now scheduled for this year, with the integrated system availability pushed back to 2013,” said a MoD source.
Once operational, these aircraft are slated to have a normal radar range of 250 km and a 375-km extended one, with a 240-degree coverage and five-hour endurance time.
Sign In
