Latest news with #UttamAESA
India Today
30-06-2025
- Business
- India Today
Why HAL opting for foreign tech for jets is a Make in India snub
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated July 7, 2025)Operation Sindoor was an emphatic assertion of indigenous military prowess. Yet, a troubling contradiction emerged soon after. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which lies at the heart of India's defence innovation, now finds itself cornered, because Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has opted to instal imported radar and early warning systems in its latest jets, going back on its word to use the DRDO's indigenous Uttam AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar and the Swayam Raksha Kavach (SRK) Electronic Warfare (EW) suite. Sources say that HAL has issued a Letter of Intent to Israeli firm ELTA systems regarding the delivery of radars and EW suites. In a similar move in the Rafale Marine fighter jet deal, the Uttam radar was pulled out of the final configuration at the insistence of manufacturer Dassault Aviation despite being part of the original 2021, when the Indian Air Force (IAF) ordered 83 LCA Mk1A multirole fighter jets from HAL in a Rs 48,000 crore deal, the latter had committed to integrating indigenous radar and EW systems for the last 43 aircraft, or from the 41st LCA Mk1A. However, in a volte face, HAL in March 2025 decided to put in radar and EW systems from ELTA, the supplier for the first 40 aircraft, for those final 43 aircraft as well. Though HAL was to start delivering LCA Mk1As from February 2024, not a single aircraft has a fighter jet, radars provide situational awareness by tracking targets and guiding missiles while an EW suite protects it from enemy radar by jamming them or deploying countermeasures. The AESA radar project, called the Uttam (or 'excellent') radar, was initiated in 2008 and sanctioned in 2012. DRDO completed the Transfer of Technology to HAL in July 2023, with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) as a subsystem supplier. The radar was cleared for export that The SRK EW suite—designed to work with the Uttam radar—is being made by DRDO's Combat Aircraft Systems Development & Integration Centre, Bengaluru, and Defence Electronics Research Laboratory, Hyderabad. The EW suite comprises two components: the Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) and the Advanced Self-Protection Jammer (ASPJ) pod. WHY FOREIGN CHOICEAn HAL official attributed the decision to the delayed certification of the DRDO's radar and EW suite by the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC). 'We have the imported radar as the DRDO radar and EW suite are not certified for production by CEMILAC completely,' a key HAL official tells india today. HAL had issued a tender in November 2024 for 43 Uttam radars for the LCA Mk1A, making its U-turn all the more unexpected. A DRDO official acknowledges delays in conducting trials of the EW suite due to the non-availability of suitable test aircraft but claims that CEMILAC had certified the radar for production last year. The official adds that the DRDO had requested HAL for more time and that a final decision was yet to be officials point out a viable alternative—integrating the Uttam radar with imported EW systems until the SRK suite receives complete certification. In fact, making HAL's decision even more perplexing, in a recent internal communication to HAL and DRDO in April, CEMILAC stated that the Uttam radar had completed four phases of flight trials. Additionally, the radar hardware had undergone qualification tests according to the LCA Mk1A's requirements. To facilitate the induction of the radar, CEMILAC recommended commencing production of the radar subsystems, with HAL's avionics division in Hyderabad serving as the lead system integrator.A senior DRDO official suggests that HAL's hesitation may stem from a lack of confidence in the indigenous system. 'It seems it is under pressure to deliver the jets,' he tells india today. 'If the air force has expressed confidence, the HAL should also be a little patient to adopt an Indian made system. Moreover, by the time HAL reaches at 41 aircraft, the Indian EW suite would be certified,' he says. HAL's decision to opt for imported technology, he adds, undermines the efforts towards indigenisation. Ravi Gupta, a former DRDO scientist, states that the DRDO's Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE) invested years in developing these technologies. 'Having complete control over the supply chain and source code of indigenous radar systems is essential for national security, particularly in the event of war, when imported systems may be compromised,' he LRDE co-developed the Uttam AESA radar system with other DRDO labs and partners like BEL. Unlike mechanically scanned radars, Uttam employs electronically controlled antennas, known as Transmit/ Receive Modules (TRMs), which enable faster beam switching and improved target tracking and resistance to Uttam radar has also demonstrated an ability to track up to 50 airborne targets at ranges beyond 100 km and engage four targets simultaneously. The IAF has taken a keen interest in the Uttam radar, and top IAF leadership has praised its a senior DRDO official says that flight trials of the radar and development of the EW suite faced numerous hurdles. Developing cutting-edge systems from scratch with industry partners is a huge challenge. Secondly, DRDO's access to only older Tejas LCA aircraft hindered progress. In contrast, foreign manufacturers were provided with two LCA Mk1A following weeks will reveal whether HAL's decision will stand, or if the DRDO's painstaking efforts will be honoured. One thing is clear—the IAF, MoD officials and most Indian scientists are standing by the Uttam radar and the SRK EW to India Today Magazine- EndsMust Watch
Time of India
30-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Uttam Radar not so Uttam for Tejas? HAL picks imported Israeli radar over DRDO's desi AESA radar
Hindustan Aeronautics will equip Tejas Mk1A with foreign systems. It reverses the decision to use DRDO's indigenous radar and EW suite. HAL cites certification delays as the reason. DRDO contests this claim, stating its systems are ready. Experts debate the impact on India's strategic autonomy. The decision sparks discussion on balancing operational needs and indigenization goals. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads HAL issues Letter of Intent to Israeli firm DRDO contests certification delay claims Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What makes AESA radar critical Experts react to HAL's decision The larger question: strategic autonomy In a setback to India's defence indigenisation efforts, Hindustan Aeronautics HAL ) has reportedly decided to equip the final batch of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A with imported radar and electronic warfare systems. As per reports, the state-run firm will use Israeli ELTA Systems ' components instead of the Defence Research and Development Organisation's ( DRDO ) homegrown Uttam AESA radar and Swayam Raksha Kavach (SRK) EW has reportedly issued a Letter of Intent to Israel's ELTA Systems for supplying radar and EW systems for 43 out of the 83 Tejas Mk1A jets ordered by the Indian Air Force under a ₹48,000 crore deal signed in 2021. This move reverses HAL's earlier decision to start integrating the indigenous DRDO systems from the 41st aircraft onward.'The DRDO radar and EW suite are not fully certified for production,' a HAL official told India TodayThe company cited delays in certification by the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification ( CEMILAC ) as the reason behind choosing the foreign DRDO officials disagree with HAL's explanation, stating that the Uttam AESA radar was cleared for production in 2023. According to DRDO, an official communication from April 2025 confirmed that four key stages of flight trials and hardware qualification had been completed, and CEMILAC had advised HAL to begin subsystem production.'We've asked HAL for more time. Full certification of the SRK suite will be ready before production reaches the 41st aircraft,' a senior DRDO official told India Today. DRDO has also proposed using a hybrid setup that combines the indigenous radar with imported EW systems in the (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar is a key technology in modern fighter jets. Unlike traditional radar systems that use mechanical movement, AESA radars use multiple small transmit/receive modules to steer the beam electronically. This allows faster detection of targets, simultaneous tracking of multiple threats, and greater resistance to Uttam radar uses Gallium Arsenide-based modules and can track more than 50 targets at over 100 km. It is modular and scalable, which means it can also be used in future Indian platforms such as the AMCA and upgraded comparison, Israel's EL/M-2052 radar can track more than 60 targets and supports air-to-air, air-to-ground, and maritime roles. However, experts warn that it is dependent on foreign supply chains and source code, which may create risks during war or experts do not see the move as a rejection of indigenous technology. Rajiv Nayan from the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses told Navbharat Times, 'Such contracts clearly state which systems will be used, and altering that at a later stage is rarely possible.'Nayan also said, 'There is often speculation about sub-par performance, but that is not the case with the Uttam radar. India is in the process of developing world-class weapon systems, and the radar will certainly be integrated at a later stage.' He added that indigenous systems had proved their capability during Operation the question of foreign influence, Nayan said, 'No lobby can derail a capable system. Only if a system is genuinely not up to the mark does such pressure become effective.' However, other defence experts quoted in the Navbharat Times report admitted that foreign lobbies—especially from the U.S., Israel, and France—try to reduce the use of Indian components in agree that India must continue to support its domestic technologies. They said, 'We have to place our trust in Indian systems, even if there are minor shortcomings. Continuous operational use is the only way to improve them and secure our strategic autonomy.'The decision by HAL has triggered a wider debate on the balance between operational readiness and indigenisation goals. As India moves forward with major defence programs, the outcome of such choices will likely shape the future of domestic defence manufacturing.
India Today
28-06-2025
- Business
- India Today
A make in India snub
Operation Sindoor was an emphatic assertion of indigenous military prowess. Yet, a troubling contradiction emerged soon after. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which lies at the heart of India's defence innovation, now finds itself cornered, because Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has opted to instal imported radar and early warning systems in its latest jets, going back on its word to use the DRDO's indigenous Uttam AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar and the Swayam Raksha Kavach (SRK) Electronic Warfare (EW) suite. Sources say that HAL has issued a Letter of Intent to Israeli firm ELTA systems regarding the delivery of radars and EW suites. In a similar move in the Rafale Marine fighter jet deal, the Uttam radar was pulled out of the final configuration at the insistence of manufacturer Dassault Aviation despite being part of the original plan.
