New Delhi, Jul 22 (NVI): The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Wednesday signed two major contracts with industry partners for the Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) Mk-II programme, aimed at strengthening India’s indigenous airborne surveillance capabilities.
According to the Defence Ministry, the Centre for Air Borne Systems (CABS), a DRDO laboratory, signed a contract with AI Engineering Services Limited (AIESL) for converting six Airbus A321 aircraft from commercial to green configuration for the AEW&C Mk-II programme.
In a separate agreement, CABS signed a contract with Adani Defence Systems and Technologies Limited (ADSTL) as the Development-cum-Production Partner for the mission systems of the programme.
The agreements were signed in the presence of Defence Secretary and DRDO Chairman Rajesh Kumar Singh in New Delhi.
Under the programme, CABS, with support from ADSTL, will integrate the mission systems onto the modified A321 platform. The aircraft will subsequently undergo flight testing in coordination with the Indian Air Force before certification by the concerned military airworthiness agencies, the ministry said.
The AEW&C Mk-II system is expected to provide enhanced endurance, advanced airborne surveillance, secure communication, improved situational awareness and stronger command-and-control capabilities, significantly boosting the country’s air defence preparedness.
The ministry said the participation of domestic industry in the programme reflects the government’s push for self-reliance in defence manufacturing under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.(NVI)
