The defence ministry signed two contracts worth Rs 3,700 crore with Bharat Electronics (BEL), a defence public sector undertaking, for the procurement of medium-power radars 'Arudhra' and 129 DR-118 radar warning receivers for the Indian Air Force. The contracts will contribute to the Indian government's 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative. The procurement of these systems will enhance the Indian Air Force's surveillance, detection, tracking, and electronic warfare capabilities. The DR-118 radar warning receivers will strengthen the Russian-origin fighter aircraft Sukhoi-30 MKI.
The first contract, valued at over Rs 2800 crore, was for the indigenously designed and developed 'Arudhra' by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The Indian Air Force successfully tested the system prior to the signing of the deal. 'Arudhra' is a 4D multi-function phased array radar with electronic steering in both azimuth and elevation for the surveillance, detection, and tracking of aerial targets. The system has an instrumented range of 400 Km and can detect 2sqm RCS targets as far as 300 Km in range with altitude coverage from 100 meters to 30 Km. The system also has target identification based on interactions with co-located Identification Friend or Foe systems.
The second contract, costing around Rs 950 crore, is for the procurement of 129 DR-118 Radar Warning Receivers (RWR). The DR-118 Radar Warning Receiver will enhance the Electronic Warfare (EW) capabilities of Su-30 MKI aircraft.
The defence ministry stated that the majority of sub-assemblies and parts for the projects will be sourced from indigenous manufacturers. The projects will promote the active participation of Indian electronics and associated industries, including MSMEs, and generate employment of two lakh man-days over a period of three and a half years.
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