NEW DELHI: Strengthening India’s indigenous defence capabilities under the govt’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, the defence ministry has inked a major capital acquisition contract with defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the procurement of two mountain radars, including associated equipment and infrastructure, for the Indian Air Force, at a cost of around Rs 1,950 crore.The installation and commissioning of these radars will boost the country’s air defence and strengthen national security. The procurement will also reduce the dependency on foreign equipment.This mountain radar is indigenously designed and developed by electronics and radar development establishment of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and will be manufactured by BEL.The contract, under Buy (Indian-indigenously designed, developed and manufactured) category, was signed in the presence of senior officials of the defence ministry and BEL on March 31. This was the last capital acquisition contract in the last financial year. The mountain radar uses active aperture phased array radar technology and functions as a 4D surveillance system. Unlike standard versions, these radars feature architectural and engineering adaptations specifically for high-altitude environments and rugged terrains like Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. The systems can easily be transported and deployed at high altitudes via helicopters.The radar, which has a detection range of up to 400 km for various aerial threats, can detect targets with a low radar cross section such as drones, helicopters, and fighter aircraft.
