IAF formally inducts 2nd Airborne Early Warning & Control aircraft into its inventory

Pic courtesy: Twitter/@IAF

Indian Air Force formally inducted the 2nd Airborne Early Warning & Control(AEW&C) aircraft into its inventory on Wednesday. The AEW&C aircraft was inducted during a ceremony held at Air Force Station Bhisiana in Punjab. Air Marshal R Nambiar, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command was chief guest at the event.

#EyeInTheSky- IAF formally inducted the second indigenously developed AEW&C aircraft into its inventory at AFS Bhisiana today.
Air Mshl R Nambiar, AOC-in-C WAC was handed over the keys of the aircraft by Dr S Guruprasad DS&DG (PC&SI), DRDO.
Details on : https://t.co/MXwLqEipwy pic.twitter.com/14ns9W30p6

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) September 11, 2019

Here are seven salient features of the AEW&C system.

- It is developed by the Center of Airborne Systems in Bengaluru with the help of Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)

- The project costs a total of Rs 2,400 crore

- The system has been programmed to detect and classify aerial threats in the surveillance area

- It acts as a Command base in support for all Air-Defence operations

- It has been integrated on the Brazilian-made Embraer-145 aircraft

- The system holds a 240-degree coverage radar

-The multiple communications and data links present in the AEW&C system will provide  Recognizable Air Surveillance Picture to commanders at the Ground Exploitation Stations 

The first AEW&C aircraft was inducted into the IAF on February 14, 2017 during the Aero India-2017 held at Bangalore. The aircraft has since provided Air Defence surveillance and control from the mountainous terrains of J&K, through the deserts of Rajasthan and stretching to the Rann of Kutch.

It also took part in all major exercises conducted by IAF over the last two years. 

The AEW&C aircraft also participated in Ex-Cope India 2018, where it controlled both Indian and US fighters. This potent force multiplier also holds the distinction of undertaking the first-ever Air-to-Air refuelling by any transport aircraft in the IAF inventory. 

The induction of the second indigenously built AEW&C aircraft is another significant step towards fulfilling the ‘Make in India’ vision, and bolstering the operational capability of the IAF.