Indigenous AWACs programme makes headway, aircraft platform being sought
18 May 2007
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New Delhi: Indigenous development of an Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) system is progressing well and has reached the stage of critical design review (CDR) of the mission avionics. Procurement of a suitable aircraft for the system is in progress, according to India's ministry of defence (MoD).
According to the MoD, the country's private industry has also been a participant in the development programme since the beginning of the project. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Air Force are jointly participating in development of the system.
DRDO revived the AWACS programme successfully after its HS-748 technology demonstrator aircraft crashed killing some key DRDO scientists and technicians in 1999.
