Drones are the undeniable deadly new facet of modern warfare. And the Indian army is looking to procure state-of-the-art radar systems to counter these, and more, rising aerial threats.
After Pakistan managed to breach Indian airspace with swarms of drones during the conflict that followed Operation Sindoor, the Indian Army is beefing up its air defence network along the northern and western borders with new radar systems that are designed to detect, track and engage aerial objects with a low radar cross-section (RCS).
For context - a low RCS simply means the object in question is able to show itself to be smaller than it possibly is on radar defence systems. This allows the object to be picked up only at close ranges or not at all. Stealth aircraft routinely use various design elements, such as specific shapes and radar-absorbent materials, to minimise their RCS.
According to a report by the Indian Express, these systems will be integrated into the Army’s Akashteer air defence network. This will enable battlefield commanders to keep a closer eye on the sky and boost response times to hostile drones as well as other aerial threats.
To do so, the Army is said to want up to 45 Low Level Light Weight Radars (Enhanced) (LLLR-E) and up to 48 Air Defence Fire Control Radar-Drone Detectors (ADFCR-DD). Additionally, the Army wants 10 Low Level Light Weight Radars (Improved) (LLLR-I).
Now, the army expects the LLLR-I to work across terrains - from high-altitude areas to deserts and coasts. Furthermore it should be able to track more than 100 targets at once while detecting any and all aerial targets within a 50-km range.
The LLLR-E has similar features but adds an Electro-Optical Tracking System (EOTS) and a passive radio-frequency detection system empowering it to pick up signals from low-RCS drones, including swarms, and transmit target data to weapon systems up to 10 km away.
Meanwhile, the ADFCR-DD is a game-changer that will combine a search radar, track radar, fire control systems, and Identification Friend-or-Foe (IFF) capability - all mounted on a single vehicle. Furthermore, the ADFCR-DD will control the fire of at least two L/70 guns and feed target data to Very Short Range Air Defence Systems (VSHORADS) - designed to intercept threats at close range.
