Operation Sindoor Drone : Indian Army Is Hurrying To Acquire New Radars

This happens four months after Operation Sindoor, where hundreds of Pakistani Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) managed to infiltrate Indian airspace.

The Army is looking to acquire as many as
45 Enhanced Low Level Light Weight Radars, up to 48 Air Defence Fire Control Radar Drone Detectors (ADFCR-DD), and 10 Improved Low Level Light Weight Radars.

These AD radars are capable of detecting, tracking, and engaging aerial objects that have small radar cross sections (RCS), such as the Pakistani drones that entered Indian airspace back in May.

Radar Functions

Radar stands for RAdio Detection And Ranging.

It’s a specialized electronic system that employs radio waves to figure out the direction, distance, and speed of target objects.

The military utilizes AD radars to search for, detect, identify, and assist in eliminating aerial threats.

Radars were created in the 1930s and 1940s, mainly for military purposes. As airpower became more crucial in warfare, radars turned into vital defensive (and later offensive) tools for armed forces.

There are mainly two types of AD radars: surveillance radars and fire control radars.

In simple terms, a radar consists of two main parts: a transmitter that sends out radio signals, and a receiver that picks up any signals reflected from a target.

The angle of a target is figured out by looking at the direction from which the reflected signals come, tracking the target’s position over time helps in figuring out its path.

The previous ones keep a close watch on the skies to spot aerial objects. These sightings are then examined by an operator (more and more with the assistance of computers) to recognize the identified objects.

At present, both the Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) are equipped with both surveillance and fire control radars.

Surveillance radars aren’t directly linked to any anti aircraft weapon systems, unlike fire control radars, which assist surface to air guns or missiles in targeting aerial threats.

These radars are employed to address bigger threats like fighter jets, enemy transport planes, or Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS).

Both the IAF and the Army have some Low Level Light Weight Radars (LLLRS).

These radars have shorter ranges and are designed to monitor aerial objects, which are often smaller and fly at lower altitudes.

When it comes to fire control radars, the IAF utilizes a variety of systems, including the 3D central acquisition radar and the Rajendra radar.

The Army mainly relies on Flycatchers, which are locally upgraded Super Fledermaus (USFM) radars, along with the AD tactical control radar.

Upgrades

For quite some time, there’s been a necessity to enhance the Army’s old radars.

The three day conflict with Pakistan in
May only strengthened this argument.

During Operation Sindoor, a large number of inexpensive enemy drones were deployed to disguise a handful of surveillance and attack drones.

These drones crossed into Indian airspace from various points along the border before being intercepted and shot down.

A high ranking Army official mentioned that the acquisition of LLLWRs and ADFCR-DDs is driven by the necessity to address upcoming threats posed by smaller, low flying aerial objects like drones, which have the potential to outmatch older air defense systems or even catch them off guard.

The officer explained that these kinds of objects are often utilized in modern conflicts around the world, such as during Op Sindoor and by Hamas in their actions against Israel.

It’s important to boost the quantity of LLLRs and other fire control radars, which are capable of not only spotting threats with a low radar cross section but also distinguishing between allies and enemies in a busy airspace.

RCS

RCS, which stands for radar cross section, measures how easily an object can be detected by radar, typically shown in square meters.

The bigger RCS, the easier it is to spot. It’s not just about the size of the aerial object.

Its design features that play a role – modern stealth tech aims to minimize an aircraft’s RCS.

The new radars being acquired will have the ability to scan the airspace, identify and track targets.

The ADFCR-DD – which are state of the art firing control radars will have the ability to detect, identify, classify, and manage weapon systems to target even the tiniest surveillance and attack drones, making it much more effective to eliminate such threats.

India’s air defense setup includes AD
guns and surface to air missiles like
the Russian S-400s and the homegrown
Akash missile system.

This system did an impressive job
during Operation Sindoor, and stopped Pakistan from causing any major damage during its aerial attacks into India.

The Army has implemented the Akashteer system, which offers a unified, real time air picture to the control room, radars, and air defense guns.

This setup allows for coordinated air defense operations by combining different radar systems, sensors, and communication technologies into one operational framework.

IAF has the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), which is an automated command and control system that brings together data from all air defence assets to spot, identify, intercept, and take out hostile intruders, while
also managing offensive packages deep within enemy territory.

DISCLAIMER: This article is derived from information available in the public domain.