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The Indian Eyes in Sky
The Ambitious AWACS Program
The Ambitious AWACS Program
In recent years India has been shifting toward aircraft that would give it the ability to patrol and act at extended ranges. In January 2004, India and Israel signed a $1.1 billion contract for 3 Phalcon airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft, as part of a $1.5 billion tripartite agreement with Russia. With the arrival of its first IL-76 Phalcon, India joined the global ranks of AWACS operators.
The aircraft has to monitor huge swathes of Indian airspace, intercept communications and log radar frequencies, add some ground surveillance, and help command IAF responses. By 2012 India announced that it wanted to follow up on that procurement with native capabilities.
In parallel, India has moved to implement AWACS capabilities on a smaller platform, in order to provide broader aircraft coverage of its territory. The goal there is to field a Tier 2 platform based on Embraer’s ERJ-145 jet, and Indian radar and electronics, allowing India to join the global ranks of AWACS designers. Just to make things interesting, their arch-rival Pakistan offers a contrasting case study, with quicker fielding of off-the shelf buys from China (Y-8 based ZDK-03 ) and Sweden (Saab 2000 Erieye).
India’s AWACS: Platforms & Programs
Israel Aerospace Industries’ Phalcon system is built around an ELTA EL/M-2075 AESA L-band radar, then adds electronic and communications intelligence gathering (ELINT and COMINT) capabilities. The system can receive transmissions from other air and ground stations to round out its surveillance picture, and uses sensor fusion to provide a complete picture of the battlespace out to several hundred kilometers. On-board communications allow these AWACS planes to direct communications-compatible forces and allies based on the bigger picture, which is why AWACS planes are so valuable.
Several Phalcon platforms exist. IAI had already delivered an earlier-model “Condor” Phalcon 707 aircraft to Chile, and created a CAEW Nachshon variant for Israel and Singapore that fits into a Gulfstream 550 business jet. India already operates the IL-76 as its strategic transport aircraft and aerial refueling tanker (IL-78), however, and made its decision to use the IL-76TD as its base aircraft.
Instead of the front and side structural modifications made to Chile’s Condor and the G550 CAEW jets, India’s A-50EI Phalcon will use a conventional AWACS radome, mounted on top. Because the Elta radar scans in 360 degrees automatically, the radome will be fixed rather than rotating.
The IL-76TD’s upgraded Prem PS-90 engines will make operation in India’s hot climates easier, and the system will reportedly make heavy use of Russian avionics, including a partial glass cockpit.
Even though India picked an existing aircraft type in the IL-76, and an existing AWACS & radar system in the Phalcon, the process of marrying them together and adding India’s special request items makes the A-50EI a development project. As often happens, that project has slipped its timelines.
India was supposed to receive the first A-50EI Phalcon in December 2007, but Uzbekistan’s Tashkent Aircraft Production Organization (TAPO) was late in customizing the airframes. By November 2007, India’s 1st A-50EI was only at the maiden flight test stage, which continued into early 2008. Flight certification followed, and first delivery ended up taking place in Q2 2009, about 18 months late. At that point, all 3 aircraft were promised by the end of 2010, but final delivery of an enhanced 3rd A-50EI+ actually took place in mid-2011.
Even final delivery isn’t the end, of course. The A-50EI Phalcons have taken some time to become operational, and have even being grounded for a while at Agra while issues were ironed out.
Despite the delays, India is reportedly happy with its new capabilities. A major follow-on contract has been rumored since April 2008, when India reportedly picked up a $1-2 billion option for 3 more A-50EI Phalcon AWACS aircraft, with delivery expected in 2011-12. Despite multiple confirmations at the time, it now appears that 2008 only marked the beginning of India’s long negotiating and approval processes.
The A-50EI fleet’s delays and issues have slowed things further. By late 2011, media reports were suggesting that an $800 million deal for 2 more A-50EI Phalcons had reached the final approval stage – but even that is not a signed contract.
The IL-76 Phalcons are part of an emerging architecture for India’s air force, which include the Operational Data Link (ODL), the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), and Air Force Net (AFNET).
Those underlying systems have wider reach, and they will work with other aircraft beyond the A-50EIs. They will even work with other Indian AWACS planes.
India has a great deal of territory to cover, and even 6 AEW&C aircraft can easily mean just 4 operational planes at any given time. The Indian Air Force appears to be taking the “brittle swords lesson” to heart, and is looking for another 3 mid-size surveillance aircraft to act as counterparts to the larger Ilyushin Phalcons.
The state-owned DRDO research and development agency’s original 2004 timeline had their medium AEW&C project finishing by 2011, but it took that long to finalize and deliver the modified base aircraft. Delays have now pushed the project’s completion back to April 2014, and the 3 aircraft together are expected to cost around R 1,800 crore (about $385 million) total when fully equipped.
While a G550 Phalcon would provide systems commonality with the IL-76s, using an already-integrated and proven platform, India chose a path aimed at maximizing indigenous R&D above all other considerations.
DRDO’s platform of choice was Embraer’s ERJ-145 business/ regional jet. The militarized EMB-145 comes in several variants, including maritime surveillance and electronic intelligence planes. The most common variant, currently operated by Brazil and Greece, is the R-99 Erieye Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) aircraft[1], using the same Saab Erieye AESA radar that will be mounted on Pakistan’s new Saab 2000 turboprop AEW&C fleet.
There are some blind spots with its “dorsal blade” configuration, most notably to the front, but flight patterns can be planned around those gaps to ensure good coverage of the area in question. India’s DRDO aims to create a similar aircraft, using locally-designed technologies.
Under a $210 million agreement with DRDO in July 2008, Brazil’s Embraer will act as the overall system integrator, supplying the jets, mounting the radar and electronics on or into the AWACS fuselage, ensuring that the altered jets retain acceptable flight performance, and handling flight recertification.
On the Indian side, the Bangalore-based DRDO Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) is responsible for overall integration of the aircraft’s electronic systems, mission computer, display and data handling. DRDO’s Defence Electronics Application Laboratory will be involved with the primary sensors, communication systems and data link. DRDO’s Defence Avionics Research Establishment will be involved with the jet’s self-protection systems, electronic warfare suites and communication support systems. DRDO’s Defence Electronics Research Laboratory will be involved with “counter-support measures.”
The radar itself won’t be a proven model. Instead, it will be a development project from DRDO’s Electronics and Radar Development Establishment. A September 2005 ACIG report claimed that the radar would be similar to Saab’s Erieye, and the CABS illustration certainly looks very similar. CABS is reportedly working with the private sector firm Astra Microwave Products of Hyderabad to develop transmit-receive multimodules [JPG format] for the radar. Doing so at a reasonable cost is always a challenge for AESA radars, however, and India’s experience with the type is limited.
This radar and systems work will be the real key to the Embraer AEW&C project’s success or failure.
Unfortunately, DRDO’s radar record is cause for some concern. DRDO was responsible for “Project Guardian/Airawat,” which suffered a disastrous project failure in 1999 when its HS-748 turboprop AWACS testbed aircraft crashed, killing several engineers and scientists who were critical to the project. These Embraer aircraft are the proposed successors to that effort. More recently, the multimode radar being developed for India’s Tejas lightweight fighter couldn’t meet specifications. IAI Elta’s M-2032, which is already in India’s Sea Harriers and some of its Jaguars, is now being used instead, in order to keep the already-late fighter program on track.
Given India’s slow processes for even off-the-shelf buys, a similar failure by DRDO could easily set the country’s medium AEW&C efforts back by over 5 years.
Meanwhile, India’s rival Pakistan is fielding 2 advanced AWACS planes of its own. One is Saab’s Erieye system, mounted on a Saab 2000 turboprop. Its 4 Erieye planes will be joined by 4 larger Chinese Y-8 turboprop derivatives, the ZDK-03 AWACS . Both varieties are military-off-the-shelf configurations, rather than development projects, which is allowing Pakistan to field operational AWACS planes much more quickly.
India is modernising its defence forces especially in terms of force projection, network centric warfare capability, information and cyber warfare, and intelligence capabilities. AWACS too are a part of this process to bridge the gaps in our defence vulnerabilities. During the 1960s the idea of full-fledged usage of airborne radar systems for surveillance, battle space management and C3I purposes came into existence. These systems were known as Airborne Early Warning and Control Systems (AEWCS). AEWCS systems mounted on an aircraft together are known as Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) which is the non lethal but decisive arm of modern air forces round the world. AWACS allow long range surveillance with ranges of 240/350/400 Kms. The requirement for India is to have around 15-18 fully functional AWACS at any point in time so the whole Indian region can be covered with no windows of exploitation both on land and in sea.
These ranges allow collection, interpretation and analysis of data which is critical for decision makers to make timely decisions regarding defence of homeland as well as offensive pre-emptive actions against enemy forces.One of the often feared nightmares of any security official is the idea of being caught unawares by an enemy action. AWACS compliment our already existing array of ground radars to provide enough latitude in our response times. The need of the hour is to have an ‘eye in the sky’ system at both our eastern and western borders as well as maritime surveillance. AWACS are a cost effective solution as satellites cost a lot more, as well as the technology and infrastructure required to maintain a fully functional satellite system is complex and fraught with risks.
India’s foray into AWACS began in 2004 with the signing of a tripartite agreement between India, Israel and Russia. Russia was to provide the IL-70 aircrafts and Israel the Phalcon radar systems. Integration was to be done in India. Three such Phalcon AWACS are already in service and three will be operational by 2014. The delays have caused a great deal of unease in our security establishment,as a vulnerability window has been provided to our adversaries for exploitation. The procurement of eight P8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft by India from US is also another example to extend our safety net to our maritime borders and coastlines. AWACS systems are the state of art of technology which provide an extended safety net to our homeland and provide crucial battlefield information well in advance to our decision makers.
AWACS India project by DRDO is India’s domestic effort to boost our C4ISR capabilities to achieve a level of parity with not just our immediate neighborhood adversaries but advanced global powers around the world.The project was based upon procurement of EmbraerERJ 145 jet from Brazil with indigenous development of the 360-degree AESA (active electronically scanned array) radar system.The militarised EMB-145 comes in several variants, including maritime surveillance and electronic intelligence planes.
A September 2005 ACIG report claimed that the radar would be similar to Saab’s Erieye, and the Center for Airborne Systems (CABS) an arm of DRDO, illustration certainly looks very similar. The radar can look 240 degrees within a short time and has a range of 350 km. It can track more than 500 targets simultaneously. The project has however run into cost over runs and time delays and needs a serious look into by the defence ministry.
Pakistan already has four Swedish Saab-2000 AEW&C aircraft, with four more Chinese ZDK-03 AWACS in the pipeline and is currently ahead of India in this field.This needs to be rectified on priority.
China already has 20 functional AWACS and is way ahead of India.As the US has already removed DRDO and its sister organisations from the Entity List, DRDO needs to make faster progress in enhancing our domestic AWACS capability through technology transfers and licensed production of American AWACS equipment.In the last decade, US has provided the basis of a strategic partnership with India in form of Civil Nuclear Deal, Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) waiver etc. India should use this opportunity to develop cutting edge technology in fields of surveillance, communication, IT and aerospace with US help and expertise-sharing. AWACS should figure at the top of this exercise as AWACS are a non lethal weapon which US should be willing to share with India.
Other countries which can form reliable partners are UK, France, Sweden and Japan and thus, intensive efforts are needed by our diplomatic, political and military staff to explore these latent opportunities.
AWACS can also complement and enhance our existing Air Defence (AD) Systems which form the bedrock of any nation’s security in the 21st century. Post Gulf War 1 (Op Desert Storm) the theme of battles have revolved around effective AD systems which protect a nation from enemy’s initial assault of fighter and bomber aircrafts as well as missiles both ballistic and cruise in nature. AD systems prevent an enemy from laying the ground for invasion by land forces after the initial aerial assaults have been successful in destroying the nation’s infrastructure, military installations and troop morale. AWACS have a longer range of visibility, larger data collection, big picture analysis capability and command-control ability as compared to their ground based counterparts. AWACS can help in detecting incoming enemy aircraft, identification of friendly and hostile forces, reconnaissance of larger tracts of land and sea, command-control of own forces, information sharing and interoperability with friendly nations during times of crisis and conflict.
As already pointed out by our previous Army Chief, nearly 97 per cent of India’s AD equipment is either outdated or obsolete and this state of affairs poses a grave threat to our national security. Procurement of ground based radars, AD guns and fighters will go a long way in fulfilling the goal of comprehensive defence preparedness. AWACS will complement and act as force multipliers of our AD force by providing the right information at the right time to the right person for timely neutralisation of threats.
AWACS can detect troop buildups, surface naval movements and aerial challenges posed by an adversary’s forces; provide the same geospatial information in real time to military and civilian commanders well in advance for them to make accurate, timely and sensitive decisions. The utility of AWACS is unquestionable and India needs to wake up to this reality and fast track both its indigenous programme of AWACS-India by DRDO and its foreign off the shelf procurement deals before it’s too late or too little.
F.A.Q.s About Phalcon :
But what is the Phalcon?
The Phalcon is an Israeli manufactured Airborne Early Warning, Command and Control (AEWC&C) system. It is one of the most powerful such systems in the world. India [ Images ] is buying three of them for $1.1 billion (approximately Rs 5,000 crore or Rs 50 billion).
What does the Phalcon do?
It provides real time surveillance of a few hundred kilometres of territory and also command and control. It can pick up a low flying aircraft, a missile or communication and provide advance warning after correlation. It will help the Indian Air Force to maintain air superiority in a battle. It can pick up an incoming object in all weather conditions, reportedly up to some 300 miles. It can also pick up all sorts of communications from air, sea or land. All the information collected can be conveyed live to the control centre in the headquarters.
How does it pick up information of enemy objects in its area of coverage?
The Phalcon system has four sensors, which coordinate with each other. If one of the sensors picks up an incoming object or enemy communication it automatically co-relates with other sensors and reconfirm.
How different is it from other Airborne Early Warning Systems (AEWS)?
Most other AEWS are mechanically rotating antennas, or rotodomes, mounted on an aircraft. In the Phalcon it would be a stationary dome mounted on the aircraft and based on an Active Phased Array Electronic Scanning Technology. It would be able to track continuously any fast, high manoeuvring objects in much shorter period of time than the rotodome-based AWACS.
Does it only track incoming objects and communications?
No. The Phalcon is also a full-fledged command and control centre mid-air that can be deployed to direct the aircraft, providing them a picture of the entire battlefield thus allowing them superiority over enemy fighters.
Do Pakistan and China have it?
Neither have it. China was refused the Phalcon in 2000 even after they had paid an advance because of American objections. After India signed the agreement last week Pakistan has threatened to take 'appropriate steps' to match Indian capabilities.
Why is US permission so important for buying the Israeli manufactured product?
America is Israel's key ally and a collaborator in Israel's development of several cutting edge military technologies. The Israeli Aircraft Industries, which produces the Phalcon, has an agreement with some European and US firms, including Raytheon for further research, development and marketing of the Phalcon. India too was given the Phalcon only after US permission. The US had threatened to withdraw financial assistance to Israel if it went ahead and fitted the system on a Chinese plane, which had landed in Israel in 2000.
Is India then the first country to get the Phalcon?
No. Countries such as Chile already have it. But India would be the first country to mate the Phalcon system on the Russia [ Images ]n manufactured IL-76 plane. In fact there is a trilateral agreement between Israel, India and Russia on the project. Israel has given an undertaking to Russia not to reveal the technology of fitting it on an Ilyusin to any other country.
The Phalcon has been mounted on which other aircraft?
It can be mounted on various Boeings, C-130 and even an Airbus. Chile's Phalcon system, called Condor, is mounted on a modified Boeing 767.
What PAF Thinks ? : Indian AWACs Threaten Pakistan air space
Contributing Editor Air Marshal (Retd) AYAZ AHMAD KHAN examines the threat to Pakistan because of the Indian AWACs.
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