DRDO Netra Mk2
| Netra Mk II | |
|---|---|
 Netra AEW&CS, the predecessor to the Mark II variant | |
| General information | |
| Type | Airborne early warning and control |
| National origin | India |
| Manufacturer | Adani Defence & Aerospace |
| Designer | |
| Status | Under development |
| Primary user | Indian Air Force (intended) |
| Number built | 6 planned |
| History | |
| Developed from | DRDO AEW&CS |
The DRDO Netra Mk II is an upcoming Indian airborne early warning and control system (AEW&CS) being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation for the Indian Air Force. It follows the Netra Mk 1 and Netra Mk 1A variants, and will be mounted on second-hand Airbus A321 aircraft that have been acquired from Air India.
Development
[edit]The Defence Acquisition Council in September 2021 cleared the acceptance of necessity for the ₹11,000 crore (equivalent to ₹120 billion or US$1.5 billion in 2023) AEW&CS project for six aircraft. The platform would be Airbus A321 purchased from Air India.[1][2][3] The platforms would be sent to France, modified to military standards, and then will be returned to DRDO where radars and surveillance suites would be fitted.[4] The contract negotiations for the modifications of the aircraft was on the way as of October 2024.[5]
The developmental work on the six Mark-2 aircraft, with bigger and more capable versions of the AEW&C radars and sensors to be mounted on second-hand Airbus A321 planes bought from Air India, was already at an advanced stage, as of February 2024, at a cost of ₹10,990 crore (US$1.3 billion). Delivery of the first such AEW&C Mark-2 aircraft, which will also have an antenna in the nose in addition to the main dorsal antenna to give 300-degree radar coverage, should take place in 2026–27.[6] Adani Defence & Aerospace has been designated as the L1 entity for this project.[7]
The six A321 aircraft, as of March 2025, were being operated by the Air HQ Communication Squadron, Indian Air Force.[8]
The Cabinet Committee on Security approved the project, worth ₹19,000 crore (US$2.2 billion), on 17 July 2025. It is anticipated that the project will be completed in three years starting in 2025. For the refit, DRDO will collaborate with Airbus Defence and Space in Spain, to modify and upgrade the jet platforms as per military standards, along with several Indian firms to equip the Netra Mk 2 with a mission control system and an indigenous AESA radar atop a dorsal fin-mounted antenna which will reportedly provide 300–360° coverage. The project has been officially designated AWACS (India).[9][10] All the six aircraft are expected to be delivered by 2033–34. The cost of the project inflated by ₹7,000 crore (US$830 million) after additional modifications to the aircraft was identified.[11]
Design and Features
[edit]The Netra Mk2 will feature a dorsal fin-mounted active electronically scanned array radar, providing 300° radar coverage. In addition, a secondary antenna will be installed in the nose of the aircraft to enhance forward coverage.
Other planned features include:
- Extended detection ranges compared to the Netra MkI.
- Multi-role mission control system for airspace surveillance, battle management, and communication relay.
- Integration of advanced indigenous sensors and electronic warfare suites.
- Use of Airbus A321 as the base platform, offering larger payload capacity and endurance compared to Embraer EMB-145 used in Netra Mk1A.
Operators
[edit]- Indian Air Force – Six aircraft to be procured.[1][3]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Singh, Rahul (2021-09-09). "DRDO to develop new early warning jets for IAF under ₹11,000 crore project". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 9 September 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
- ^ Philip, Snehesh Alex (2021-09-09). "Modi govt okays 6 more 'eyes in the sky' for IAF, DRDO project to cost Rs 11,000 crore". ThePrint. Archived from the original on 9 September 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
- ^ a b Peri, Dinakar (2024-10-06). "IAF looking at 12 early warning aircraft under two different programmes". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
- ^ Herk, Hans van (2023-10-05). "Additional AEW&C capacity for Indian Air Force". www.scramble.nl. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ Peri, Dinakar (2024-10-06). "IAF looking at 12 early warning aircraft under two different programmes". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 2024-10-07. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
- ^ "As Pakistan, China fly ahead, India guns for 12 more 'eyes in sky'". The Times of India. 2024-02-06. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
- ^ "Integrated Annual Report 2023-24" (PDF). Adani Enterprises Limited. p. 65. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
Adani Defence & Aerospace has been declared as the L1 entity for Netra II project.
- ^ Philip, Snehesh Alex; ThePrint (2025-03-20). "Defence ministry clears key 'eye in the sky' project to catch up with Pakistan". ThePrint. Retrieved 2025-03-21.
- ^ Pubby, Manu (2025-07-17). "Indigenous Awacs gets go-ahead, to be developed by DRDO". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2025-07-17.
- ^ "Netra MkII AWACS project: India to develop next-gen airborne warning systems to boost IAF's long-range surveillance; Rs 20,000 crore project approved". The Times of India. 2025-07-17. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ^ Pandit, Rajat (2025-08-20). "Acquisition of another 97 Tejas, 6 AEW&C aircraft gets CCS nod". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-08-20.