TRISHUL: January 2020

ADTCR of Indian Army’s ADC & RS

The ADTCR is the Army version of the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) gapfiller Ashwini LLTR.

Based on the DRDO’s proposal in January 2009, the MoD sanctioned the DRDO’s efforts to engage 13 Indian industrial partners for developing an active phased-array, S-band LLTR known as Ashwini. The IAF has indicated an initial order for 18 Ashwini LLTRs, following successful field evaluation trials (FET), against a total requirement for 67.

Low-Level Transportable Radars (LLTR) are required for surveillance against low-level intrusion of airspace up to a height of 30 metres in a range of 150km. In 1997 the Indian Air Force (IAF) HQ had projected a requirement of active phased-array LLTRs and in January 1998 had obtained ‘in-principle’ approval from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the acquisition of 37 LLTRs. IAF HQ’s efforts to import LLTRs on four occasions (between March 1998 and February 2002) did not fructify due to the MoD-owned Defence Research & Development Organisation’s (DRDO) objections on the issue of the quantum of transfer of technology (ToT) from foreign vendors. However, for meeting the immediate requirements, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) in October 2005 accorded ‘Acceptance of Necessity’ (AoN) to import 19 GS-100 LLTRs from THALES of France under the ‘Buy & Make’ category along with associated industrial ToT, with the balance of 18 LLTRs to be developed by the DRDO’s Electronics R & D establishment (LRDE) under the ‘Make’category. The MoD inked two contracts in July 2009 for the procurement of 19 GS-100 LLTRs at a total cost of Rs.1,272 crore. The ‘Buy’ part of ‘Buy and Make’ contract was concluded with THALES for the procurement of six fully-furnished (FF) LLTRs along with communications and associated equipment; and knocked-down kits for 13 GS-100s along with industrial ToT at a total cost of Rs.572.20 crore, with the delivery schedule lasting from February 2012 till March 2013 (later revised to June 2015).

Advance payment of Rs.85.82 crore was also released to THALES in November 2009. The ‘Make’ part of ‘Buy and Make’ contract was concluded with the MoD-owned Bharat Electronics Ltd’s (BEL) Ghaziabad facility at a cost of Rs.699.54 crore for the licenced-assembly and supply of the 13 GS-100s between March 2013 and March 2015. An advance of Rs..160.97 crore was also paid to BEL in November 2009. However, it was only by late 2017 that all the GS-100s had been delivered to the IAF.

The Ashwini LLTR is in turn networked with the IAF’s Arudhra MPR through the IACCCS system.

Based on the Indian Air Force’s ASQR of August 2003 for an air base-located 3-D, S-band Central Acquisition Radars (CAR), the MoD in November 2003 sanctioned a Mission Mode project of the LRDE called ‘Rohini’ at a cost of Rs.34.05 crore with a PDC of 36 months (by November 2006). Subsequently, the LRDE inked a comprehensive technology transfer-cum-IPR rights buyout package with Poland’s Przemyslowly Instytut Telekominikacji SA under which the DRDO would obtain and transfer the production technology for the PIT-developed TRS-17 S-band, 3-D radar with 240km range, to BEL. However, the project sanction did not include the post-development activities such as user-trials and its acceptance by the IAF. By August 2007 the LRDE had developed the radar within the extended PDC (August 2007) with an expenditure of Rs.28.02 crore and the project was closed in August 2007.

The IAF carried out the 3-D CAR’s trials between February 2008 and March 2008 and recommended its induction into service. The project was completed by December 2010 with an extra expenditure of Rs.7.27 crore. During the course of development and trials of the ‘Rohini’, the IAF had placed two supply orders (in March 2006 and July 2009, respectively) with BEL for the manufacture and supply of 37 ‘Rohini’ 3-D CARs, while the Army has since ordered 14.

Low-Level Lightweight Radars (LLLWR) with a range of 50km that can be transported by animal carts/trucks/helicopters for deployment in difficult and high-altitude terrain. Based on the IAF’s August 2004 requirement for 36 LLLWRs and the DAC’s ‘in-principle’ approval in September 2004 for procuring 15 ELTA-supplied EL/M-2026B X-band LLLWRs through the ‘Buy’ option, with the balance 21 being acquired through indigenous development by the LRDE, the MoD in December 2004 sanctioned the development of the S-band ‘Aslesha’ LLLWR under Mission Mode at a cost of Rs.21.94 crore with a PDC of 30 months (June 2007). After user-trials were conducted between December 2009 and February 2010, the IAF in February 2010 recommended improvements in the power supply system, sensor head and the Commander’s Display Unit. The LRDE agreed to carry out the changes in production models and in September 2011 closed the project as successful with an expenditure of Rs.20.77 crore. Deliveries of these LLLWRs was delayed by 23 months and were completed in June 2015.

A proposal for procurement of 38 ‘Bharani Mk.2’ 3-D LLLWRs for the Indian Army under the ‘Buy Indian’ category based on a design from the LRDE was forwarded by the MoD in July 2012 to BEL for comments. The proposal was sent considering that the LRDE had already developed the L-band Bharani Mk.1 LLLWR, which was then under series-production by BEL (16 units) under a contract signed in March 2011. While the Mk.1 radar was 2-D/L band radar, the proposed Bharani Mk.2 was envisaged as a 3-D surveillance radar with better low-altitude target detection capability and improved operational and performance characteristics. In April 2013 the Board of Directors of BEL approved a proposal to develop one prototype of Bharani Mk.2 having features similar to thye IAF’s S-band Aslesha LLLWR at an estimated cost of Rs.17.36 crore, including a capital investment and offer it for evaluations and field demonstrations to the Indian Army within a timeframe of 18 months. The Board also advised BEL’s Management to sign a detailed Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MoU) with the LRDE since the latter would be the systems design agency for Bharani Mk.2. As per the timeline fixed by the Board, the Probable Date of Completion of design and development was October 2014. However, progress in the project was delayed due to finalisation of the design by the LRDE and subsequently conducting the Preliminary Design Review with the end-user and BEL.

Meanwhile, the LRDE in September 2014 informed BEL that during the Quarterly Interactive Meeting with Army Air Defence Directorate, the end-user showed keenness on S-Band and an Aslesha radar modified for meeting the Bharani Mk.2 requirements was to be fielded for user evaluations by March 2015. Due to change of the operating band, development of the L-band Bharani Mk.2 was kept on hold till November 2014, and a fresh sanction was accorded in March 2015 by the Chairman and Managing Director of BEL for the development of an S-band Bharani Mk.2 at an estimated cost of Rs.4.98 crore. An expenditure to the tune of Rs.11.45 crore was incurred on the development of the L-band Bharani Mk.2 till March 2016. As the development was put on hold, most of the above expenditure was rendered futile. Also, BEL did not adhere to the directions of the Board to sign a MoU with LRDE to ensure clarity to the project and commitment from LRDE. BEL’s Management stated in September 2016 that the LRDE being the designated design agency, had proposed Bharani Mk.2 using semi-active phased-array technology in L-band. The change in frequency band necessitated design changes. Out of the total expenditure of Rs.11.45 crore, most of the money was utilised in new development/modification/realisation of the S-band version based on Aslesha.

The DRDO, along with private sector Indian industry, has also developed upgrade packages for the existing 30 Indra-1 (GRL-600) 2-D L-band gapfiller radars of the IAF and seven Indra-2 (GRL-610) of the Indian Army, which were supplied by Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) in the 1980s. All these radars can now function as 3-D solid-state digital radars. A similar upgrade package is now available for the IAF’s 18 PSM-33 Mk.2 L-band 3-D high-power radars (HPR) of late-1970s vintage. Meanwhile, BEL with the assistance of THALES has refurbished the nine THALES-supplied TRS-2215D S-band HPRs that had been procured since February 1984. The DRDO has already commenced work on developing an indigenously designed L-band HPR, for which a requirement of 15 units has been identified by the IAF.

In November 2002 the IAF had projected a requirement of 23 S-band active phased-array medium-power radars (MPR) for service-induction between 2007 and 2017, so that they could replace the BEL-built L-band PSM-33 Mk.1/2, P-40 and TRS-2215D radars, which had completed their service life of 29 years. Based on the IAF HQ’s ASQR of November 2004 and due to non-availability of indigenous technologies, the MoD in April 2006 approved the importing of 15 MPRs (ELTA Systems’ EL/M-2084) and the indigenous development of eight ‘Arudhra’ MPRs. FET of the Arudhra was completed in October 2018 with success. In addition, 37 ‘Rohini’ air base-located 3-D, S-band Central Acquisition Radars (CAR) have been delivered as were 21 DRDO-developed ‘Aslesha’ S-band low-level lightweight radars (LLLWR).

For ensuring gap-free air-surveillance along the mountain valleys and high-altitude passes in India’s north-west, northern and north-east regions, a total of 10 ELTA Systems-built L-band EL/M-2083 ‘Airstar’ aerostat-mounted MPRs is required to add to the two already in service, as are 15 L-band active phased-array high-power airspace surveillance radars. These new radars will be interfaced with the IAF’s existing 32 new mobile control and reporting centres (MCRC), 12 air defence control centres (ADCC), 24 air defence direction centres (ADDC) and some 40 terminal weapons control centres (TWCC) along India’s western and north-eastern borders, The 1,700kg EL/M-2083 ‘Airstar’ is mounted inside 240 feet-long aerostat that is perched at altitudes of up to 4,000 feet, use electronically-steered multi-beam techniques to detect terrain hugging airborne targets—combat aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and UAVs—at ranges of up to 300km, while the trajectories of ballistic missiles can be accurately plotted up to 500km away.