In a significant boost to the Indian government’s efforts to enhance the country’s indigenous defense capabilities, the Ministry of Defense has signed a contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), for the procurement of 18 ‘Ashwini’ Low-level Transportable Radar (LLTR) for the Indian Air Force (IAF) at a cost of Rs 2,906 crore ($330M).
The radar, designed and developed by the Electronics and Radar Development Establishment of DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation), will be the first Indigenous radar system of its kind for the IAF.
These radars will boost the IAF’s capability to track aerial threats ranging from fighter jets, helicopters, missiles, to slow-moving drones.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a press release, “The programme is a major step towards achieving self-reliance in defence manufacturing by reducing dependency on Foreign Origin Equipment Manufacturers besides acting as a catalyst for the development of defence industrial ecosystem in the country.”
The contract between the defense ministry and the state-run BEL was signed in the presence of Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar.
Notably, the contract was signed at a time when China is relentlessly expanding its surveillance network near the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de facto border between India and China.
Ashwini LLTR – India’s Indigenously Developed Radar
According to the MoD, “LLTR (Ashwini) is an active electronically scanned phased array radar based on state-of-the-art solid-state technology.
The radar is capable of tracking aerial targets from high-speed fighter aircraft to slow moving targets such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and helicopters. Its acquisition will significantly enhance the operational preparedness of the Indian Air Force.”
Active Phased Arrays have integrated radiators with integrated Transmit-Receive Modules (TRM). They use solid-state technology with a distributed architecture, efficient scan coverage, and high reliability.
The Fully Active Medium Range Surveillance Radar, Ashwini, is a vehicle-mounted ground-based rotating Active Phased Array Radar System for airspace surveillance, detecting and tracking air targets under hostile EW operational environments.
Since the radar is vehicle-mounted, it is easily transportable for quick deployment in rugged terrains and border regions. Also, these radars could be moved as per the operational requirements of the IAF.
The flexible architecture is a reliable and adaptable technology for multiple applications, including early warning for the air defense sensor at the airbases. The radar has advanced technologies like solid-state transmit/Receiver (T/R) modules, digital receivers, a programmable signal processor, and a digital beam former.
The advanced software algorithms, multiple high-speed processors, and state-of-the-art digital technologies have made the radar an effective but user-friendly sensor that provides airspace awareness to Commanders during peacetime and wartime.
The radar is fully programmable from the local Operator Workstation (OWS). Design, Development, and User trials have been completed and accepted for induction by the IAF.
According to defense analysts, these radars are capable of automatic detection, have a range of 200 km, and can detect two square metres of Radar Cross-Section (RCS) targets as far as 150 km. They have an altitude coverage of 30 meters to 15 km, meaning they can also detect low-flying drones.
The radars provide 360-degree horizontal coverage in rotation mode with a 40-degree vertical scan. They provide a fixed horizontal scan at a specific target area in staring mode.
The radars will augment the early-warning capabilities of the IAF.
China’s Evolving Radar Network
China has been aggressively expanding its radar coverage network for some time now. Last month, the EurAsian Times reported about China’s giant advanced long-range radar, which is reportedly capable of detecting missiles—including hypersonic ones—thousands of miles away.
Military commentator and former People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) instructor Song Zhongping identified the structure as a “strategic, active phased-array radar,” reportedly capable of detecting missile threats within a range of several “thousand kilometers.”
This large phased-array radar (LPAR) has a range of 5,000 km and can detect India’s ballistic missile tests in real time. India’s Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast, a key site for testing Agni-V intercontinental ballistic missiles and K-4 submarine-launched missiles, is also within the range of this powerful radar.
Earlier in September last year, China claimed to have made the world’s most powerful radar, with a range of over 10,000 km, that can simultaneously detect equatorial plasma bubbles (EPB) over the Egyptian pyramids and the Midway Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
The radar, known as the Low Latitude Long Range Ionospheric Radar (LARID), was developed by the Institute of Geology and Geophysics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Some new PLA warships, such as the 055-type destroyers, are also equipped with radars capable of detecting stealth aircraft. These radars utilize wavelengths that penetrate stealth coatings, potentially reaching detection ranges of hundreds of kilometers.
Beyond surface-based defenses, China claims to have developed the world’s first ‘seabed radar,’ allegedly capable of detecting high-altitude aircraft from a depth of 1,000 meters.
Though still a classified project, such a system could revolutionize undersea warfare by significantly enhancing submarine offensive and surveillance capabilities.
Implications For India
China’s expanding radar network has security implications for India. In October 2023, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari warned that Beijing has deployed a large number of radars all across the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
He said the Indian Air Force is also considering a long-term solution of deploying high-powered radars, which would allow it to see “as deep as the adversary can see inside our area.”
While India still has a long way to go to match China’s surveillance and radar capabilities, adding 18 LLTR Ashwini radars will boost IAF’s capabilities and augment India’s early warning infrastructure along the China border.
- Sumit Ahlawat has over a decade of experience in news media. He has worked with Press Trust of India, Times Now, Zee News, Economic Times, and Microsoft News. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Media and Modern History from The University of Sheffield, UK.
- He can be reached at ahlawat.sumit85 (at) gmail.com
