News Story: India looks for intelligence-gathering aircraft

A Gulfstream G550 ISTAR (Click Image to Enlarge)

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

Electronic intel capabilities would help Air Force ’get her act together’

NEW DELHI — Aimed at countering a perceived threat from China, India is seeking to acquire seven aircraft with signals intelligence and communication-jamming capabilities with a budget of about $570 million.

“The requirement is for aircraft to carry out a unique list of missions centered around a two-front threat from China and Pakistan,” said Daljit Sigh, a defense analyst and retired Indian Air Force air marshal.

India’s global hunt is for twin-engine jets, and preference will be given to overseas companies able to provide custom, Indian-built electronic warfare equipment, a senior Indian Air Force official said.

”We need more airborne electronic intelligence (ELINT) assets, particularly to meet the Chinese threat as they are likely to extensively use electronic warfare and spoofing during any hostilities, and the IAF needs to get her act together,” said Vijainder K. Thakur, a defense analyst and retired Air force squadron leader.

The seven sigint aircraft will be operated by the Indian Air Force.

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News Story: India Postpones ISTAR Aircraft Purchase From Raytheon

Raytheon ISTAR Aircraft of the Royal Air Force
(Image: Wiki Commons)

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has put on hold the purchase of two intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) aircraft from Raytheon of the United States, due to internal wrangling between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO) over which of the two should be the technical evaluator, according to a source in the MoD. 

The cost for the two aircraft was to be about $1 billion, with payment structured around the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.  

"The thinking here [of the MoD] is that the two agencies — DRDO and IAF — should sort out the issue and only then we proceed towards purchasing the two ISTAR aircraft," the source said. 

The eventual designated agency will be responsible for deciding which software and other equipment should be used and how to procure it. 

"DRDO must certainly be wanting to work on related projects. Blocking any acquisition that is critical to war fighting capability is patently anti-national," retired IAR Air Marshal Muthumanikam Matheswaran said. "DRDO understands this, and I don't think they will do this. I think this must be a case of misunderstanding where DRDO must be trying to leverage technologies. That they can and must do anyway, through offsets or [US-India Defense Technology and Trade Initiative] routes." 

A senior IAF official said the service should have selection authority because it will be the operating agency for the two ISTAR aircraft. The official claimed that DRDO does not have the technical capability or expertise needed to evaluate the aircraft. 

DRDO scientists were unavailable for comment. 

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