INDIAN NAVY TO BUY FIVE AEORSTAT RADARS FROM ISRAEL
By Bulbul Singh
21 Apr 09. The Indian Navy is procuring five Aerostat radar systems
from Rafael of Israel. “A senior level Indian Navy team is visiting Israel by the month-end to negotiate technical aspects with Rafael,” said a senior Indian defence ministry official. Currently the Indian Air Force is using the Aerostat radar successfully for surveillance purposes along the border with Pakistan in the state of Gujarat.
The Indian Navy proposes to procure the five Aerostat radars at an average cost of around $40m per unit.
Both India and Pakistan are procuring Aerostat radars to fill in the gaps in the radar coverage areas. While Pakistan is procuring six Aerostat radars from the United States, India is procuring nearly 13 Aerostat radars for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy from Israel.
The Indian Navy the Aerostat radars into service after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks to fill the gaps along the western coastline. The Indian government has sanctioned the purchase of Aerostat radars on a fast-track basis. In a departure from practice the procurement of the Aerostat radars will be on single vendor basis.
Israel will need to transfer technology to Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the depot and life time maintenance support of the Aerostat radars.
The Indian Navy will deploy the five Aerostat radars on various locations including along the coastline, on offshore platforms including ships, and on the Andaman and Nicobar islands to oversee Chinese movements.
The Indian Navy is wanting the Aerostat radars, which can be raised to a height of 15000 feet above sea level, at standard day temperature of 15 degrees Celsius and carry a payload of 2400 kilograms and stay for 28 days at a stretch.
The payload on board the balloon will consist of advanced programmable radar (APR), Electronic Intelligence (ELINT), Communication Intelligence (COMINT) and V/UHF radio telephony equipment and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF). The system will give radar coverage from 10 to 350 kilometers and be able to pick up targets ranging from ground to 30,000 feet.
The air surveillance radar, which will have the capability to detect
varieties of missiles, fighter aircraft and maritime aircraft at various ranges. In addition, the payload will include the surface surveillance radar, and combined surveillance radar for air and surface targets. The payload will also include COMMINT and ELINT systems. The frequency coverage of the ELINT will range between 500MHZ and 18GHz and the range for COMMINT will range between 30MHz and 18GHz. There should be not more than three broad band omni antennae and not more than three D/F antennae for ELINT and COMINT systems.
The Indian Air Force has already deployed two Aerostat radars in Kutch and northern state of Punjab with success. The Indian Air Force meantime has acquired unspecified numbers of additional Aerostat radars some of which have been deployed outside Delhi after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.