The Su-30 MKI's Secret Weapon: Decoding the Virupaksha Radar

India.com

6 days ago

The Su-30 MKI's Secret Weapon: Decoding the Virupaksha Radar
The Indian Air Force is giving its Su-30 MKI fighter jets a big upgrade. The main part of this upgrade is a new radar called the Virupaksha Radar, made in India by DRDO's lab, LRDE. This radar uses advanced technology to help pilots see better, aim more accurately, and carry out missions more safely. With this upgrade, India is making sure its air force stays strong and ready to face any new threats in the sky.
The Virupaksha Radar was made by LRDE in India to handle both today's and tomorrow's battle needs. It makes the Su-30 MKI fighter jet better at detecting enemies, jamming their systems, and attacking targets. Since this radar is made in India, it reduces the need to buy such systems from other countries and helps India become more self-reliant in defense.
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Virupaksha: A Giant Takes Shape
The Virupaksha Radar is a powerful new radar system being developed in India for the Su-30 MKI fighter jets. It uses a special technology called GaN (Gallium Nitride), which is better than older materials like GaAs (Gallium Arsenide). GaN helps the radar stay cooler, use less power, and still work very strongly—this is very important during long or intense air battles.
The radar is based on something called AESA technology, which means Active Electronically Scanned Array. Instead of moving parts to scan the sky, it uses electronic signals to quickly shift its focus in any direction. This makes the radar much faster and more reliable.
A big highlight of the Virupaksha Radar is that it will have 2,400 Transmit-Receive Modules (TRMs). These are like tiny signal units that help the radar see and track objects in the sky. To understand how advanced this is:
India's Tejas fighter jet has about 700 TRMs
The French Rafale has around 1,200 TRMs
But the new Virupaksha Radar will have 2,400 TRMs — the highest in India's air fleet.
This means it will have much better ability to detect targets from far away, track many things at once, and respond quickly in combat.
The radar will also deliver:
High peak power – It can send strong signals to detect even small or far-away targets.
Extended range – It can see farther than older radars.
Fast beam steering – It can quickly change direction to look at different parts of the sky.
One more important feature is its electronic steering, just like the radar used in the Eurofighter Typhoon (called the Captor-E radar). This allows the radar to cover a wider area (wide azimuth coverage) and control its beam movement with great flexibility. That's very useful in fast-moving air battles where every second matters.
Overall, the Virupaksha Radar will make the Su-30 MKI jets much smarter, faster, and more deadly—keeping India's skies safer with advanced Indian-made technology.
Making Fighter Jets Smarter: The Role of Virupaksha Radar
The Virupaksha Radar is made up of eight main parts, called Line Replaceable Units (LRUs). These parts work together to make the radar powerful and reliable.
Some important parts include:
The Active Array Antenna, which sends and receives signals.
The Exciter Unit, which starts the radar signal.
The Radar Receiver, which picks up signals coming back from targets.
Other parts, like the Antenna Positioner, Radar Processor, and Cooling System, help the radar stay accurate, process information fast, and keep it from overheating. The Radome (the cover that protects the antenna) and the Antenna Power Supply complete the system.
Each of these parts has a special job that helps the radar see farther, stay accurate, and manage power well.
This radar is fully designed and developed by DRDO, India's defense research agency. A special partner, known as the Development-cum-Production Partner (DCPP), will help build and install it on Indian Air Force fighter jets.
DCPP at the Heart of Radar Project Delivery
The chosen Development-cum-Production Partner (DCPP) has a big responsibility. It's not just about supplying parts, but also setting up everything needed to support the radar system fully. This includes having trained workers, modern facilities, and proper quality checks in place.
Once selected, the DCPP will handle key tasks like fitting the radar into the fighter jet, testing it in flight, and later producing it in large numbers.
Most importantly, the DCPP must also provide long-term support for at least 20 years. This means they must supply spare parts, upgrade the system when needed, offer training, and help with maintenance directly on the aircraft.
As this long-term phase begins, LRDE (the DRDO lab that developed the radar) will step back, and the DCPP will take over full responsibility, according to a report by alphadefence.in.
The entire project is planned in four simple steps:
Step One (16 months): The DCPP helps build the radar parts and also designs special tools needed to test and support the radar on the ground.
Step Two (15 months): The radar is carefully fitted into the fighter jet. Engineers make sure everything works smoothly together. At the same time, the radar is tested in the air for 9 months to check how well it performs during real flights.
Step Three (2 months): Once all tests are passed, the project gets the green signal to start mass production. This step ensures that full manufacturing can begin without any hold-ups.
Throughout the Project: The DCPP must be ready to adjust plans as needed. If the Indian Air Force asks for changes or improvements, the partner must respond quickly and smoothly.
Ownership, Challenges, and What Comes Next
DRDO will keep full ownership of the design and technology behind the Virupaksha Radar. But once the radar passes all tests, the chosen DCPP will get permission to make and support the radar. This permission is not exclusive, meaning others could also get it if needed.
At first, DRDO's lab LRDE will provide three radars for testing. If these work well, the Indian Air Force may place a bigger order—possibly around 50 radars over the next 10 to 15 years. Though the number isn't fixed, a large order is expected if everything goes smoothly.