Article Posted on : - Dec 07, 2011

The DRDO developed Airborne Early Warning and Control System will be integrated into Brazilian-manufactured Embraer-145 aircraft. Photo: Embraer.

NEW DELHI (PTI): The DRDO has conducted the maiden flight of Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system at a special facility in Brazil, taking a major step forward in the development of such system indigenously.

The first maiden flight of indigenously developed AEW&C took place Wednesday at Sao Jose dos Campos in Brazil with about 1000 mission system components provided by Bangalore- based DRDO lab, the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS), a DRDO spokesperson said here.

"The flight is a major milestone towards realising the dream of indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control system, which will put India into a select club of countries," DRDO chief said.

The aircraft will now undergo full certification process over next two years, but first two aircraft will be delivered to us by the middle of 2012, the spokesperson said.

"After the aircraft are delivered, the mission systems developed by various DRDO labs will be integrated into them.

Currently these systems are undergoing ground integration and evaluation at CABS," he said.

The delivery of these aircraft with fully integrated mission control system is expected to take place by the end of 2013, he said.

The systems developed by DRDO are being integrated on specially designed Embraer aircraft with capability of tracking airborne objects in all directions.