NETRA AEW&Cs Family.

[liberalredditor]

Why the f is il78 classified as an awacs??? Awacs are meant to detect and jam etc etc opponent side first, basically seeing first and then doing all the electronic kala jadu

But this il78 mf is so large that, how is it an awacs?? I have seen il76 at mumbai airport, that thing should be kept as a transporter or refueller only, or rather leave all russian transport aircrafts, heavily unreliable

I would say trust a330, get 9 awacs for iaf and some more for navy, then 6-8 a330 refuellers
Airbus is truly the most safest platform

 

[Kapil]

At this point no more awacs will arrive quickly.
If we are being forced to buy burgerican weapons we should just buy 5 to 6 e3 awacs that they are retiring as a stop gap solution.

Both Mk1 and Mk1A will arrive by 2030. I don't think even e3 will arrive before that if evaluation and negotiation starts now.

Also,
Under the tariff related negotiations, Viswaguru has probably given some promises.
We will end up buying more American stuff to maintain balance of trade.
One of the areas will be defence.
If that happens, I only want to max out on
(1) MH60 helicopters
(2) P8is and
(3)MQ-9B for Navy and
(4) Injuns for Tejas and MWF for IAF
(5) Electronics for ELINT and Recon aircrafts for ARC
That's it.
We possibly don't need US for anything else. Not for NASAMS, not for Stryker, Not for Sig rifles.

 

[Gyyaan]

IAF should have asked for more Embraer ERJ 145 based Nethra Mk1.
First they waited for DRDO Chapati on top of a Airbus A330.
Then they realised the cost is nearly $400-500M for a single one basis the order volumes and budget they have.
So they said let's buy more of Israeli Phalcom on IL-76. The vendors(both Russia and Israel) quoted rates which were 2-3 times of the first lot(due to inflation).
Then IAF realised they can't afford a Chapati, either on A330 or IL-76, so let's buy Nethra but ask for more changes and longer loitering time.
Someone decided 2nd hand A320s will do so Nethra Mk2 was born.
Then they woke up post Balakot and decided Nethra Mk1 is too good so let's order more Mk1 as well. This then became Mk1A.

Man, whichever way you look at it, it's f*ed up.
We should have gone for 9-12 Mk1 when it was successfully handed over and operated.

BTW - ERJ-145 has aerial refueling to extend time on station.

But no, we had awesome brains(even CDS level guys) saying buying in short numbers is good as they can keep getting latest versions with every lot. So we have 3 Phalcons and 3 Nethra.

If Nethra Mk2 is the way forward, why don't we max out on the orders? Order 15-18 of them basis A320s from 2nd hand market. But we somehow are masters in creating a zoo.

Here is what we will possibly have 10yrs from now :
1. Nethra Mk1 - 3 on ERJ-145
2. Nethra Mk1A - 6 on ERJ-145(2nd hand)
3. Nethra Mk2 - 6 on A320(2nd hand)
4. Phalcon - 3 on IL-76
5. Nethra XYZ Chapati -3 or 6 on A330


Total 21-24, 4 different systems based on 4 different platforms(assuming older Mk1 will be upgraded to Mk2 level electronics).
Total Netra Idli aka Mk3 plans have been shelved IIRC.

I may be wrong but Netra Idli aka Mk3 plans have been shelved.

 

[redpanda]

I may be wrong but Netra Idli aka Mk3 plans have been shelved.

Was there even one planned to begin with? I'm hearing about there being a Mk3 variant for the first time.

 

[ArjunMK1A]

I may be wrong but Netra Idli aka Mk3 plans have been shelved.

At the end of the day, it is an Radar on an plane. DRDO already developed the radar system. Depends on requirement of IAF which is supposed to be 6, they selected the A320 Platform. ]

Next step will be system integration on the plane. If IAF requirement for extra number with bigger platforms then we need to buy bigger planes.

 

[redpanda]

At the end of the day, it is an Radar on an plane. DRDO already developed the radar system. Depends on requirement of IAF which is supposed to be 6, they selected the A320 Platform. ]

Next step will be system integration on the plane. If IAF requirement for extra number with bigger platforms then we need to buy bigger planes.

Yep the issue is not with DRDO tbh. It's between IAF and Airbus. Airbus has no experience of converting this platform into AWAC. So they are demanding more money while IAF don't wanna give them that much money. Usual haggling drama. There were some reports in ThePrint irrc, that they have recently reached some level of understanding when it comes to cost negotiation..

 

[ArjunMK1A]

Yep the issue is not with DRDO tbh. It's between IAF and Airbus. Airbus has no experience of converting this platform into AWAC. So they are demanding more money while IAF don't wanna give them that much money. Usual haggling drama. There were some reports in ThePrint irrc, that they have recently reached some level of understanding when it comes to cost negotiation..

Yes, there is small cost war is going with Airbus and DRDO for Integration. Also Defense Ministry gave approval for Netra MK1A which is again based on ERJ Platform. The required number is 6 and hope these babus were sane enough to purchase those ERJs. Embraer have good rapport with us. Also we should swallow the pill and get that Airbus deal going on. We don't have any choice.

If all went well,

1. 3+6 = 9 Netra MK1 & MK1A variants based on ERJ145.
2. 6 Netra 2 based on Airbus A321

Total 12 AWACS planes along with 3 IL-76 AWE & CS.

Also we are also working on ISTAR and COMJAM Planes. Again for now, we did not procure planes for this. This is another big project currently gathering dust for now.

 

[Kapil]

Was there even one planned to begin with? I'm hearing about there being a Mk3 variant for the first time.

Assume Mk3 = Chapati on top of A330

I may be wrong but Netra Idli aka Mk3 plans have been shelved.

Nothing gets shelved. It's too costly right now but money will be found later on. Research done on it anyways will not go waste.

 

[Pundit Pikachu]

IAF should have asked for more Embraer ERJ 145 based Nethra Mk1.
First they waited for DRDO Chapati on top of a Airbus A330.
Then they realised the cost is nearly $400-500M for a single one basis the order volumes and budget they have.
So they said let's buy more of Israeli Phalcom on IL-76. The vendors(both Russia and Israel) quoted rates which were 2-3 times of the first lot(due to inflation).
Then IAF realised they can't afford a Chapati, either on A330 or IL-76, so let's buy Nethra but ask for more changes and longer loitering time.
Someone decided 2nd hand A320s will do so Nethra Mk2 was born.
Then they woke up post Balakot and decided Nethra Mk1 is too good so let's order more Mk1 as well. This then became Mk1A.

Man, whichever way you look at it, it's f*ed up.
We should have gone for 9-12 Mk1 when it was successfully handed over and operated.

BTW - ERJ-145 has aerial refueling to extend time on station.

But no, we had awesome brains(even CDS level guys) saying buying in short numbers is good as they can keep getting latest versions with every lot. So we have 3 Phalcons and 3 Nethra.

If Nethra Mk2 is the way forward, why don't we max out on the orders? Order 15-18 of them basis A320s from 2nd hand market. But we somehow are masters in creating a zoo.

Here is what we will possibly have 10yrs from now :
1. Nethra Mk1 - 3 on ERJ-145
2. Nethra Mk1A - 6 on ERJ-145(2nd hand)
3. Nethra Mk2 - 6 on A320(2nd hand)
4. Phalcon - 3 on IL-76
5. Nethra XYZ Chapati -3 or 6 on A330


Total 21-24, 4 different systems based on 4 different platforms(assuming older Mk1 will be upgraded to Mk2 level electronics).
Total

Oh and don't forget the masterstroke these guys were planning on doing by Combining Refuellers and AWACS in one

Nothing gets shelved. It's too costly right now but money will be found later on. Research done on it anyways will not go waste.

Chinese seems to have gone back to dual panel configuration in their circular rotodome, after experimenting with tri panel configuration, what exactly were our DRDO folks thinking here going with a 4 panel configuration

Post in thread 'NETRA AEW&Cs Family.'

Oct 1, 2024

Netra AEW&C(I) or Netra Mk 3 details from a older Technology Focus Documents

• Pundit Pikachu

• 

Both Mk1 and Mk1A will arrive by 2030. I don't think even e3 will arrive before that if evaluation and negotiation starts now.

Also,
Under the tariff related negotiations, Viswaguru has probably given some promises.
We will end up buying more American stuff to maintain balance of trade.
One of the areas will be defence.
If that happens, I only want to max out on
(1) MH60 helicopters
(2) P8is and
(3)MQ-9B for Navy and
(4) Injuns for Tejas and MWF for IAF
(5) Electronics for ELINT and Recon aircrafts for ARC
That's it.
We possibly don't need US for anything else. Not for NASAMS, not for Stryker, Not for Sig rifles.

The only thing we should be buying from the Burgerchods should be P8i (buy fooling 12 more of them for all I care) and F 404 and F 414 engines, nothing more nothing less.

 

[silentassassin265]

Both Mk1 and Mk1A will arrive by 2030. I don't think even e3 will arrive before that if evaluation and negotiation starts now.

Also,
Under the tariff related negotiations, Viswaguru has probably given some promises.
We will end up buying more American stuff to maintain balance of trade.
One of the areas will be defence.
If that happens, I only want to max out on
(1) MH60 helicopters
(2) P8is and
(3)MQ-9B for Navy and
(4) Injuns for Tejas and MWF for IAF
(5) Electronics for ELINT and Recon aircrafts for ARC
That's it.
We possibly don't need US for anything else. Not for NASAMS, not for Stryker, Not for Sig rifles.

E3 awacs are not being produced anymore, I was talking about the ones they are retiring as second hand purchase, with little refit they will arrive in a year

 

[Kapil]

E3 awacs are not being produced anymore, I was talking about the ones they are retiring as second hand purchase, with little refit they will arrive in a year

I am not sure where are you getting this impression that our own AWACS can't come early.

If we can find suitable 2nd hand ERJ-145( because new ones are not getting produced now), we will get Nethra Mk1A in 3 yrs.

Also, the timeline for delivery of Nethra Mk2 on Airbus A320 is also around 2026-27, so it will actually land earlier than Mk1A.