Thaindian News

New Delhi, Dec 7 (IANS) The first fully-modified aircraft for India’s indigenously developed Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&CS;) has taken to the skies for its maiden flight from the Embraer facilities at Sao Jose dos Campos in Brazil, Indian officials said Wednesday.

With about 1,000 mission system components provided by Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the first flight test Tuesday was successful, according to DRDO officials here.

These include the critical item such as the active electronic scanning antenna (AESA) radar developed by DRDO and certified from Agencia Nacional de Aviacao Civil (ANAC), an international aviation regulations certification agency.

“The flight is a major milestone towards realizing the dream of Indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control System, which will put India in a select club of countries,” said DRDO chief and Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister V.K. Saraswat, congratulating DRDO scientists and Embraer engineers on the achievement.

While the aircraft will now undergo full certification process over next two-year period, India will receive two aircraft by the middle of next year.

Here, the mission systems developed by various DRDO labs will be integrated with these aircraft. Currently, these systems are undergoing ground integration and evaluation at CABS in Bangalore.

Two of these systems will be delivered to the Indian Air Force after detailed test and evaluation by end 2013.

“With the advent of this, India is looking forward to join the league of countries capable of developing and delivering such a complex airborne system to its users,” the release said.