DRDO to hand over first indigenous AEW&CS to IAF during Aero India 2017

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will hand over the first indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&C) in IOC configuration to the Indian Air Force (IAF) on 14 February during Aero India 2017 at Yelahanka Air base in Bengaluru.

Announcing this during the curtain raiser on DRDO's participation in Aero India-2017, chairman of DRDO and secretary department of defence (R&D) S Christopher said the Airborne Surveillance System will be a game changer in air warfare.

The AEW&C is a system of systems populated with state-of-the art Active Electronically Scanned Radar, Secondary Surveillance Radar, Electronic and Communication Counter Measures, LOS (Line of Sight) and beyond LOS data link, voice communication system and self-protection suite, built on an Emb-145 platform, having an air to air refueling capability to enhance surveillance time.

DRDO has developed a complex tactical software for fusion of information from the sensors, to provide the air situation picture along with intelligence to handle identification / classification threat assessment. Battle management functions are built in house to work as a network centric system of Integrated Air Command & Control System (IACCS) node.

This system has been developed and evaluated through collaborative efforts between DRDO and the IAF, with coordination for certification clearance and quality assurance by CEMILAC and DGAQA. The AEW&C system has undergone all weather and environmental trials and has been accepted by the IAF for induction.

India also today successfully conducted a test wherein an incoming ballistic missile target was intercepted by an exo-atmospheric interceptor missile off the Bay of Bengal.

With this scientific achievement, India has crossed an important milestone in building its overall capability towards enhanced security against incoming ballistic missile threats. It has entered an exclusive club of four nations with developing capabilities to secure its skies and cities against hostile threats.