In a landmark moment for the country’s indigenous airborne surveillance capabilities, the NETRA Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) System, on Thursday, received final operational clearance (FOC), formally paving the way for its full operational exploitation by the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The FOC marks the culmination of more than two decades of development, testing and operational validation since the project received approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security in October 2004. It also signifies that the indigenous airborne surveillance platform has completed the full spectrum of design, development and user evaluations required for operational service.
Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, formally declared the Final Operational Clearance at a ceremony held at the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) in Bengaluru, where the indigenous NETRA AEW&C system and the FOC certificate were unveiled, according to news agency PTI.
Calling it a "proud moment", Air Marshal Bharti said the achievement represented far more than the completion of a technology programme.
"It is indeed a proud moment to declare the AEW&C's Final Operational Clearance. This is not merely the culmination of an indigenous technology programme, but a celebration of the unique partnership between the Indian Air Force and the scientific community in fulfilling India's quest for Atmanirbharta," he said.
He noted that the programme's journey had involved innovation, perseverance and close collaboration between the armed forces and scientists.
According to Bharti, the IAF was not just a customer waiting for the delivery of the platform but an active partner throughout the programme, as it participated in the design, development, integration, testing and operationalisation.
"DRDO, CABS in particular, and the Indian Air Force have worked hand in hand in defining operational requirements, participating in developmental and user trials, conducting continuous evaluation and providing timely and constructive feedback," he said.
He added that every mission, operational exercise and lesson learned had been incorporated into the system, making it progressively more capable and operationally relevant.
Bharti said the strongest endorsement of the programme was the IAF's decision to induct the platform even before it received FOC.
"Perhaps the greatest testimony to the faith that the Indian Air Force had in this indigenous programme was our decision to induct the platform operationally even before the final operational clearance. And this was not mere act of optimism. This was an expression of confidence in the capabilities of our scientists, and in the immense potential of our indigenous industry," he said.
In a video message, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit described the achievement as particularly significant in the current geopolitical environment.
Recalling the programme's journey from its approval in 2004 to the grant of FOC, he credited the combined efforts of DRDO, the Indian Air Force and industry partners.
"DRDO's innovative research and development expertise, support from certification and quality assurance agencies, the efficiency and agility of Indian industry, and the operational insights of the services have emerged as a critical pillar in strengthening our national defence capabilities and achieving self-reliance in defence technologies," Dixit said.
He also welcomed the planned expansion of the NETRA programme to six additional aircraft, expressing confidence that the future phases would achieve similar success.
Three NETRA aircraft had already received Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) after completing development trials with user participation. With Final Operational Clearance now granted, the programme enters a new phase of operational deployment and future expansion.
"The successful induction of the NETRA AEW&C system into operational service reflects DRDO’s commitment to indigenisation, innovation, and capability enhancement of the Defence Services. The programme stands as a shining example of synergy between operational users, scientific agencies, and defence production establishment," the defence ministry sad in a statement.
