The Ministry of Defence on Thursday signed two separate contracts with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), at a total cost of over Rs 3,700 crore, to enhance the operational capabilities of the IAF.
According to the IAF the first contract, worth over Rs 2,800 crore, pertains to the supply of Medium Power Radar (MPR) ‘Arudhra’. The second contract, at an overall cost of approximately Rs 950 crore, relates to 129 DR-118 Radar Warning Receivers (RWR). Both projects are under the Buy Indian, Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured category.
The defence ministry said that these embody the spirit of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and will help facilitate the country’s journey to self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
The Arudhra radar has been indigenously designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and will be manufactured by BEL. Its trials have been successfully conducted by the Air Force. It is a 4D multi-function phased array radar with electronic steering in both azimuth and elevation for surveillance, detection and tracking of aerial targets. The system will have target identification based on interrogations from co-located Identification Friend or Foe system.
According to the IAF the DR-118 Radar Warning Receiver will considerably enhance the electronic warfare (EW) capabilities of the Su-30 MKI aircraft. The majority of the sub-assemblies and parts will be sourced from indigenous manufacturers. The project will boost participation of Indian electronics and associated industries, including MSMEs. It will generate employment of approximately two lakh mandays over three and a half years.
(IANS)
