The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has signed two contracts with industry partners to advance the Airborne Early Warning and Control Mk-II (AEW&C Mk-II) programme. The Centre for Air Borne Systems (CABS), the DRDO laboratory in Bengaluru, awarded a contract to AI Engineering Services Limited (AIESL) for conversion of six Airbus A321 airliners from commercial to green configuration as the first stage of transformation into surveillance platforms. The stripping down of the airframes will precede structural reinforcement and integration of mission systems.

A second contract brought Adani Defence Systems and Technologies Limited (ADSTL) on board as development-cum-production partner for the mission systems of the AEW&C Mk-II. The A321s were acquired earlier from Air India and are currently operated by the Air Headquarters Communication Squadron. The agreements are the first concrete industry tie-ups since the Cabinet Committee on Security cleared the Rs 19,000 crore project last July, equivalent to Rs 190 billion (bn).

The Mk-II aircraft will mount indigenous active electronically scanned array radars offering over 300-degree coverage and detection ranges in excess of 500 km, providing a significant increase in situational awareness over the present Netra Mk-I fleet. The platforms are designed to detect hostile aircraft, missiles and ground-based threats deep inside enemy territory while directing Indian Air Force fighters during operations. The enhancement addresses a capability shortfall that has constrained continuous surveillance.

At present the Indian Air Force operates just six AEW&C platforms, three Israeli Phalcon systems on Russian IL-76 airframes and three indigenous Netra Mk-I aircraft on Embraer jets, and the projected requirement is at least 18 such force multipliers to sustain round-the-clock coverage. Neighbouring Pakistan fields roughly 10 to 12 platforms while China operates a fleet exceeding 40 aircraft, a disparity the upgrades aim to reduce. The operational necessity was underlined during Operation Sindoor when the limited AEW&C fleet was stretched and dependence on ground-based radars increased.