India takes delivery of first AEWC aircraft from Embraer

India today took a major step in mounting an electronic eye in the sky, with taking delivery in Sao Paulo, Brazil of the first Embraer 145 Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft, built with Indian technology.

The first of the three AEWC aircraft is fitted with India's first-ever airborne Active Electronic Scanned Array (AESA) radar, having detection capability for missiles and hostile fighters at all angles.

An official ceremony was held at Embraer's headquarters in Sao Jose dos Campos in Brazil to mark the delivery of the aircraft, according to a company statement.

With the new aircraft, the Indian Air Force would gain capability of operating both the longer range Israeli-made IL-76 Phalcon AWACS as also the shorter range Brazilian EMB 145. India already has acquired three Israeli AWACS and would be getting two more.

The new EMB 145 would have ''the airborne Active Electronic Scanned Array (AESA) radar designed by DRDO's Banglaore-based Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS)'' mounted on top of the modified aircraft.

According to programme director Christopher, DRDO would integrate other mission systems in India and deliver the aircraft to the Indian Air Force.

The new aircraft features major capabilities, including in-fight refuelling system, significantly enhanced in electric and cooling capacity as also a comprehensive set of structural modifications to allow the installation of the advanced mission systems that have been developed by India's CABS along with its work centres of DRDO, said Dr Elangovan, chief controller research & development of DRDO.