India Tests First Fighter Fitted With AESA Radar

Indian state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has conducted successful trails of its Jaguar DARIN III aircraft with active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar as well as 28 new sensors.

The maiden flight test was conducted on Friday is the first aircraft operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF) to have electronically controlled AESA radars, Sputnik reported.

The Indian Air Force has been using aircraft fitted with conventional radars that have antennas which need to be moved manually in order to scan enemy targets.

The DARIN III Jaguar is also equipped with new state of the art hardware and software, including an open system architecture mission computer, engine and flight instrument system (EFIS); fire control radar; a state of the art Inertial Navigation System with GPS and many others improvements, the report stated.

HAL is currently upgrading a set of Jaguars procured in 1993 from DARIN level I to DARIN level III. The aircraft will be re-inducted into the Indian Air Force once they are tested and declared combat-worthy.