The first flight test aircraft, which is set to make its first flight later this year, will be integrated with a Dorsal Unit (DoU) containing dummy electronics, ECS, IFR, auxiliary power units, internal fuel tanks, SATCOMs and antennae. India’s Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) — the laboratory spearheading the programme — has already supplied Embraer with a dorsal unit (with dummy electronics) and a Ku-band SATCOM dome, while the Defence Avionics Research Establishment (DARE), CABS and the Defence Electronics Research Laboratory (DLRL) have shipped in antennae for ESM, CSM and U/VHF.
While the EMB-145 with the configuration above will undergo flight tests in Brazil, the configuration for ferry to India in August 2011 will be the aircraft with only the dorsal pylon (minus the unit), ECS, IFR, APUs and internal fuel tanks.
Once the first aircraft reaches India, it will undergo a rigorous flight testing schedule by CABS, ASTE and CEMILAC in association with Embraer. After a few flights in India, the aircraft will be integrated with a dorsal unit with real electronics and other mission system equipment, including operator workstations (five), avionics racks, rest crew seating, seats and cabling.
On June 23, EADS Defence & Security announced that it had been awarded a contract to supply consultancy services to CABS for developing the AEW&C’s system architecture with particular regard to certification and mission equipment optimisation.
For once, a DRDO plan looks like it was thought through.
Great work of self reliance in radar developments , may be in near future india will gain maximum experience in AEW&C's .
India should involve armed UAV's against terrorist in north and north east part of india.
Why can't the AEW&C be made an unmanned aircraft by moving the control centre to an offshore location ??
Nice and detailed.
Any idea on the Options for 3 more EMB-145's ???? And also the 3 Options for the Phalcons…..read somewhere that India has decided on the 3 Phalcons ????????
My Dear Shiv,
Photos do not replace the machines nor do these fight the war. We are sick of this advertisement publicity as the machines are not to be seen on ground ever except for exceptions.
Most of the time these pictures turn out to be an exercise to get more funds to be sqaundered in the name of development and reserch.
DRDO is a white elephant.
Mr. Anon, you are going to be bashed very badly for your putdown of DRDO. That said you have a point; most of DRDO's projects including this one have a tendency to get delayed. This, however, is more often due to bureaucratic red tape and project mismanagement than lack of talent. What DRDO needs is a reorganisation on the lines of the Russian Defence Institutions, who are forced to compete for funding and fight competitively for their contracts to motivate them.
Getting to the topic, I was pleasantly surprised to see this article: I had no idea the AEWC project had progressed this far. I have only one misgiving: from those diagrams it doesn't seem like the system has any forward or rear-facing antennas. Didn't the IAF requirements ask for 360-degree radar capability rather than 270 degrees like the Swedish Erieye that this resembles?
@ Anonymous said…
My Dear Shiv,
If DRDO is a white elephant then how did the following happen
Arjun MBT
LCA Tejas
Weapons Locating Radar
Agni,Prithvi,Nag ,shaurya, Bhramos
Kindly compare the development cost incluing overruns, it is still cheaper than off the shelf procurement.
if you have problem in appreciating the work of DRDO & its personnel and encouraging them , kindly do not discourage them . Let us behave like able and responsible citizens of Mera Bharat Mahaan
Regards
sudip das ([email protected])
@ Anonymous said…
My Dear Shiv,
If DRDO is a white elephant then how did the following happen
Arjun MBT
LCA Tejas
Weapons Locating Radar
Agni,Prithvi,Nag ,shaurya, Bhramos
Kindly compare the development cost incluing overruns, it is still cheaper than off the shelf procurement.
if you have problem in appreciating the work of DRDO & its personnel and encouraging them , kindly do not discourage them . Let us behave like able and responsible citizens of Mera Bharat Mahaan
Shiv, Do you know Aero L-159 Alca cost US$13 million lower than Jf-17 cost with better radar that is multi-mode Grifo-L pulse-doppler radar.
You are SOMEBODY when others start deriding, bashing and knocking you.
So carry on and do not be unfazed by comments of sell-outs and foreigners like anon@10:56pm and gautam
Hi Shiv,
A request – when saving illustrations from presentations as images, please consider the PNG file format instead of JPG. PNG works on any browser and preserves sharp edges on boxes, lines, and characters much better than JPG does. Incidentally, PNG works just as well on natural photographs as well.
Well Dear DRDO ones,
You are well within your rights to bash me up if that improves your efficiency and accountability. That could be worth it which I would gladely undergo. But ask the guys on ground who run the DRDO machines. The Arjun tank included.
and that Nag. I have been only hearing of it for last thirty years !
LCA Tejas and LAH etc are going to take another 20 years before these could be proudely flown.
DRDO seems to be developing things for themselves and for photo publicity instead for the users.
The taste of puding is in eating, my dear DRDO walas. Or why should soldiers curse you guys.
"Ham To Doobenge Sanam, Tumko Bhi Le Doobenge".
Not acceptable to soldiers…
You Said:
"What DRDO needs is a reorganisation on the lines of the Russian Defence Institutions"..
I say what DRDO needs is to take over the MoD and perhaps the PMO provided they make something which works not like INSAS..
Naach Na Jaane Angan Teda..
Read this Thunder :
(http://www.hindu.com/2005/09/16/stories/2005091604291300.htm)
It is 2010 my dear. Does time mean any thing to you guys? No wonders every Tom Dick and Harry feels free to explode a bomb in this country anywhere and any time he likes. How long the Arjuna of India will wait for his "Ashtras" developed by the Bramharishies of DRDO?
Anon @3:30AM, you are a rude and ignorant fellow. On what grounds are you labelling me as a 'sell-out' after reading my post? If this were an internet forum you would have been banned by now for your loud-mouthed jhagda-chasing jingo attitude.
On the actual TOPIC can anyone answer me on the antenna structure of the AEWC?
http://idrw.org/?cat=1
this site is hacked
This is just an Embraer R-99 with Indian input during the production stage. Here's the link of the R-99: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embraer_R-99
Those who are deriding DRDO are obviously Pakis who are jealous of our achievements.LOL!
Nice to see you burning with hate and jealousy low life Paki scumbags.
Our AEW&C aircraft looks far more capable than the Swedish Erieye which these Pakis bought.
Three cheers to DRDO, another feather in the cap.
Drdo-Many projects have reached maturity or reaching maturity that is contemporary.2010 will see many of its established projects coming on stream.Arjun/LCa/Missiles/Electronics/Robots/Uav's/Awacs are no small achievements. One area India is lagging is crucial electronics industry that can support the technological requrements of Drdo. A dedicated direction in building the expertise will be crucial. Congrats Drdo.
Bashing DRDO every time may be irrational. If DRDO is involved in doing something worthwhile for India then they should be encouraged and applauded.
Questions for DRDO. Did you develop the ESM or bought it from another country?
Which parts of this project are really indigenous?
Isn't this slide should be considered as SECRET for reviling the ESM spectrum coverage, spatial coverage, methods of implementation, Incapability to CW emitters in front/aft and accuracies of direction finding? Is'nt the information presented should be protected to keep proprietary rights of your sub-contractors?
DRDO doin a gt job keep t up.J waiting for the MCustA to come out
Mr Shiv
I read in one article that for the follow-on orders Airforce want to add somemore system on board. As the limits of R-99(modified ERJ-145)is achived, DRDO will have to select a bigger aircraft in the class of Boeing737. Can you get some more info on that. And Selecting bigger aircraft will also allow DRDO to put an enlarge version of radar which will increase radar range.
This type is available of the shelf. We could have bought one and reverse- engineered. Why waste so much of time.