The defence ministry, on Friday, announced that it signed a contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the procurement of Air Defence Fire Control Radars (ADFCR) for the Indian Army.
The deal, inked under the Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured) category, is worth nearly Rs 2,000 crore.
ADFCRs are specialised radars designed to detect, track, and engage air threats such as fighter aircraft, helicopters, and UAVs at short and very short ranges.
The induction of these Fire Control Radars into the Indian Army will give the force an edge in the aerial warfare, which is increasingly dominated by drones, as these radars will be able to detect all forms of air-borne threats, including fighter aircraft, attack helicopters and enemy drones.
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According to DRDO, the system comprises an X-Band Active Array Antenna-based 3D-Search Radar, Ka-Band Tracking Radar, Electro-Optical Sensors for passive 2D-tracking & LRF for Radar independent ranging, Gun Control Unit, Power Generator, and a suitably equipped Commander's cabin mounted on a single High Mobility Vehicle. It is capable of controlling more than two guns simultaneously.
The capabilities of this radar include searching the designated airspace, detecting and tracking aerial targets; classifying and identifying them; performing the threat evaluation; and assigning and controlling the air defence guns to neutralise the threat.
A defence ministry release said these radars will have a minimum 70 per cent indigenous content.
"This would mark a significant milestone in the modernisation of the Air Defence Regiments and enhance the Indian Army’s operational readiness, while contributing to the economic growth of the nation," the defence ministry said.
