DRDO AEW & CS The Airborne Early Warning and Control System ( AEWACS ) is a project of India ' s Defence Research & Development Organization to develop an AWACS system for the Indian Air Force . Program history . In 2003 , the Indian Air Force ( IAF ) and Defence Research and Development Organisation ( DRDO ) carried out a joint study of the system - level requirements and feasibility of development for an Airborne Early Warning and Control ( AEWAC ) system . The government then approved the project for the development of the AEWAC system by DRDO . Primary responsibility for the project was with DRDO ' s Bangalore - based Centre for Airborne Systems ( CABS ) , which led the design , system integration and testing of the system . LRDE was responsible for the design of the radar array . Defence Electronics Application Laboratory , based in Dehradun , was responsible for the Data Link and Communication Systems for AEW & CS . The DRDO AEWACS program aims to deliver three radar - equipped surveillance aircraft to the Indian Air Force . The aircraft platform selected was the Embraer ERJ 145 . Three ERJ 145 were procured from Embraer at a cost of US $ 300 Million , including the contracted modifications to the airframe . The project goal was to deploy these AEW & C aircraft by 2013 . India ' s sole previous effort to develop an AEWAC system was the Airborne Surveillance Platform , but the program , codenamed " Airavat " , was ended after the only testbed crashed . The AEW & C project aimed to supplement the larger and more capable EL / W - 2090 AWACS acquired by the IAF from Israel . Three EL / W - 2090 systems have been ordered , with follow - on orders of 3 more expected in 2010 . Apart from providing the IAF with a cheaper and hence , more flexible AEW & C platform as a backup to its more capable EL / W - 2090 class systems , the DRDO AEW & C project aimed to develop the domestic ability to design and operationalize airborne surveillance platforms . The delivery of six additional systems ordered in October 2010 is to begin from 2015 . In June 2010 , it was reported that the Indian Air Force is said to be looking at acquiring up to 20 additional systems , in addition to the existing systems on order . Partners . The responsibility between various DRDO laboratories is split as follows : Various Indian private sector firms are involved in the program . National Aerospace Laboratories contributed to the aerodynamic studies of the antenna array , and flight modelling of the entire AEWACS platform . Design . Two radiating planar arrays assembled back - to - back and mounted on top of the fuselage in an active antenna array unit ( AAAU ) will provide 240° coverage like Erieye . The AAAU is configured to compactly house 10 x 2 antenna array panels , 160 transmit receive 10 x 2 antenna array panels , 160 transmit receive multi - modules ( TRMMs ) dividers , beam forming units , beam control units , power supply units and related electronic devices including cables and connectors . This has been achieved through an innovative and iterative process to arrive at the AAAU with minimal dimensions and optimum mass properties . A unique feature of the indigenous TRMM designis that eight trans - receive modules are combined compactly to form a single TRMM , thus facilitating high density installation of 160 of them in the AAAU to power the surveillance radar . Additionally , the aircraft has other mission capabilities like , Identification friend or foe ( IFF ) , electronic and communication support measures , C - band line - of - sight and Ku - band SATCOM datalinks , etc . , similar to those on the AWACS and CAEW systems . The important modes of operation of the primary radar system are the surface surveillance and the air surveillance . The sensor has the abilities to search , track - while - scan , priority tracking , high performance tracking , etc . In priority tracking , the targets will be placed in full track mode even if these cross the primary surveillance area . In high performance tracking , additional measurements will be made to improve the tracking accuracy . Utilising active aperture technology , the radar provides a fast - beam agile system that can operate in several modes concurrently . Inter - operability with AWACS , other AEW & C aircraft , fighters and ground - exploitation stations is ensured using the datalinks with voice and data channels . The aircraft cabin houses five operator work stations to adequately meet requirements of the operational mission tasks . An air - to - air refuelling , system enables extended operations at times of need . The endurance of the platform aircraft is about nine hours with one air - to - air refuelling . Capabilities . The AEWACS aircraft will have an AESA primary radar with IFF . The system will also have ESM ( Electronic Support Measures ) and CSM ( Communications Support Measures ) ability . Datalinks to network the AEWACS with fighters , and ground based control systems will also be provided , as will be the SATCOM ( Satellite Communication System ) . The aircraft will also have a comprehensive self - defence suite . The avionics suite will be linked via a datahandling system , controlled by Mission computers . DRDO ' s public overview of the AEWACS aircraft stated : Status . The first round of modifications to the first EMB - 145 fuselage for India ’ s early warning aircraft were made in March 2011 in preparation for integration with the Indian - designed antenna . In June 2010 , it was reported that the Active Array Antenna Unit ( AAAU ) , developed by DRDO ’ s Center for Airborne Systems ( CABS ) , was to be integrated into the modified EMB - 145 aircraft . First test flight of the system was expected in early 2011 . The first modified fuselage platform was handed over to DRDO by Embraer in February 2011 . Ground and flight tests of the aircraft were to be followed by installation of radar and other equipment . The first fully modified EMB - 145i Aircraft with the antenna and its electronic payload made its maiden flight on December 6 , 2011 at Embraer facilities at Sao Jose dos Campos in Brazil with about 1000 Mission System Components provided by CABS , DRDO . These included the critical item – AESA ( Active Electronic Scanning Antenna ) Radar Antenna developed by DRDO and certified from ANAC , International FAR Certification Agency . at Sao Jose dos Campos in Brazil . Some of the sensitive advanced systems were replaced with dummy equipment of equivalent size and weight . These were to be integrated later in India following flight certification . A two - year certification period is expected . DRDO is expected to receive the next two aircraft platforms to start integration by mid - 2012 . Maiden flight of the second fully modified aircraft for the indigenously developed Indian Airborne Early Warning and Control System ( AEW & C ) was held at 1930 IST on 4 April 2012 at the San Jose dos Campos in Brazil . The necessary Mission systems & components including the dummy AAAU ( Active Antena Array Unit ) are successfully fitted onboard Embraer EMB 145I aircraft . Embraer Defense and Security , on August 16 , 2012 delivered the first EMB 145 Airborne Early Warning and Control ( AEW & C ) class of aircraft to the Government of India , in a ceremony held at Embraer ’ s headquarters in São José dos Campos , Brazil . The delivery follows successful completion of ground and flight tests of the aircraft which met operational targets established by both Embraer and Centre for Airborne Systems ( CABS ) of Defence Research & Development Organisation ( DRDO ) . Later on the aircraft will be delivered to the Indian Air Force after integration of missions systems of DRDO by CABS in India . First Delivery . The first fully modified aircraft for India ' s indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control System landed on Indian soil at CABS ( Centre for Airborne Systems , Bangalore , a DRDO laboratory ) at 22 : 10 hours at HAL airport , Wednesday night at 22 August 2012 . The acceptance of the aircraft was completed over a period of 15 days at Embraer Facilities in Brazil , by a team from CABS , its work centres , CEMILAC , DGAQA & IAF . The aircraft ferried with several mission system external components of DRDO including the ( AESA radar ) Active Electronically scanned Array Antenna with passive electronics fitted on the aircraft . The arrival of this aircraft marks the beginning of another phase of journey leading to the next major milestone of integration of the DRDO developed mission system , which will be followed by development flight trials in India beginning of 2013 . It may be noted that this is the first aircraft delivered by M / s Embraer for which the contract was signed in 2008 . The next aircraft is expected to arrive in December 2012 . Future programs . DRDO and Bangalore - based Centre for Air Borne Systems ( CABS ) are to launch a new project ` AWACS - India ' . Initially , two AWACS aircraft will be developed , with four more to follow at a later stage . Clearances are underway for the new project to be launched .