Bangalore: The country's Airborne Early
Warning Combat Aircraft will be ready for roll out in January
next year with flight trials starting by this year-end,
Defence Minister A K Antony said here on Monday.
He stated this after handing over the Initial
Operational Clearance certificate for India's Light Combat
Aircraft Tejas to Air chief Marshal P V Naik at HAL airport
here.
The Centre for Air-Borne Systems (CABS), DRDO,
Bangalore, is developing the Air-borne Early Warning and
Control system which would be integrated into the
Brazilian-manufactured Embraer-145 aircraft, officials said.
The system, designed to detect and distinguish hostile
aircraft, would help in enhancing the surveillance and strike
capability of the IAF. It can be used to direct fsighters and
strike aircraft to their targets and warn them of hostile
enemy aircraft in the area from miles away.
The system would provide the Indian Air Force with the
capability to track missile and network with ground stations.
It comprises many sub-systems like radar and
communication links that are being designed and developed by
DRDO. This is a multi-laboratory programme of DRDO coordinated
by CABS, Bangalore.
The EMB-145 aircraft is being modified to carry DRDOs
Active Array Antenna Unit (AAAU), mounted on top of the
aircrafts fuselage, officials said.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, January 11, 2011, 00:05