Article Posted on : - Aug 27, 2014

The A-50EI AWACS aircraft of Indian Air Force. Image courtesy: Wikipedia

MOSCOW (BNS): Russia is planning to supply additional A-50 airborne early warning and control system (AWACS) to India and a contract in this regard could be inked between the two sides, a high ranking official of the Beriev Aircraft Company, the manufacturer of the aircraft, has said.

"We plan on signing a deal with the Republic of India to deliver the A-50 aircraft," General Director-General Designer Igor Garivadsky of the company was quoted as saying by Ria Novosti.

India has already acquired three A-50 AWACS fitted with Israeli Phalcon radar under a trilateral agreement with Russia and Israel at a cost of $1.1 billion.

The three A-50EI variants, based on Russia's Il-76MD military transport aircraft and in service with the Indian Air Force, are developed to meet the specific needs of the IAF.

Talks are also going on to buy more, possibly three, such platforms as India intends to strengthen its early-warning radar capability.

The A-50 AWACS aircraft is designed to detect, track and determine the origin of air and surface targets, as well as conduct surveillance, command, control and communications functions for command posts of automatic control systems, and give guidance in hitting air and surface targets.

The plane has a maximum take-off weight of 190,000 kilograms and can fly for four hours straight without refueling, carrying up to five flight crew members.

India is also developing a state-of-the-art AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning & Control) aircraft wherein the internal and external mission systems developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) are being integrated onboard three of Brazil's Embraer-built EMB 1451 aircraft.

All three aircraft are scheduled for delivery by this year end.

The Bangalore-based Centre for Airborne Systems (CAB), a DRDO laboratory, has also floated a global tender in March 2014 to buy six aircraft with necessary modifications in order to install a domestically-built AWACS radar system onboard.

The target date for the completion of the new programme is 2020.