India made electronic warfare systems for IAF Mig-29s and LCA

Indian Air Force(IAF)’s Mig-29 and the home-made ’Tejus’ Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) will have electronic warfare(EW) systems developed by India’s DRDO from next year onwards. The older Mig-27 fighters are being equipped this year and operational trials are scheduled next year. The tests would be held at two brand new EW ranges that the DRDO is building in the southern Indian states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, said Prahlada, Chief Controller, R & D of DRDO. He was speaking at an EW conference in Bangalore. The two would be part of the 4,000-acre aeronautical test range in Chitradurga, some 200 km from Bangalore, and the 8,000-acre one in Tandur, some 135 km from Hyderabad. Once the two new testing ranges are operational in 2012-13, experimental and R & D tests can be conducted, said Prahlada. At present, EW systems are tested in the IAF range in Gwalior in a limited way. In 2012, Prahlada said India would fly a fourth-generational EW system, which is being developed by Defence Avionics Research Establishment and Defence Electronics Research Laboratory.