India is going to build six new Airborne Early Warning and Control Plains (AEW & C) to boost the indigenous defense industry. It is being prepared by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) on Air India aircraft to enhance the Indian Air Force's surveillance capability along the borders with China and Pakistan.
Government sources said that the DRWO is constructing the AEW & C Block 2 aircraft under the Rs 10,500 crore project. For this, DRDO will purchase six aircraft from Air India Fleet and will be made capable of flying with radars so that the armed forces can monitor 360 degrees through it.
Sources say the six AEW&C Block 2 aircraft will be state-of-the-art as compared to the previous eye (NETRA) aircraft and will be able to monitor up to 360 degrees deep inside enemy territory during the mission. He said that the project is expected to be approved soon.
Air India's project to build the AEW&C system on the fleet could also mean that India does not purchase six Airbus 330 transport aircraft that was previously planned to be bought from a European company.
The DRDO had earlier planned that six new aircraft would be sent to Europe and there it would be modified and radars would be installed on behalf of manufacturers of genuine equipment.
Sources said that the project has been planned in such a way as to promote Make in India in defense and self-reliant India. Block-1 of the project was prepared much later than the deadline, but based on the experience gained from it, DRDO's Center for Airborne Studies Lab plans to complete it in a short time.
The Air Force has three Falcon Avox systems purchased from Russia and Israel. Radars have been provided by Israel while being used on Russia's Illusion-76 transport aircraft. The two eye aircraft provided by the DRDO performed exceedingly well in recent conflicts.