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HEMANT RAWAT
ALREADY IN USE: Embraer-145 AEW&C aircraft of the Indian Air force which is being used for the special mission purpose
suite designed to perform long-range, high-endurance missions thus providing tactical and strategic intelligence. The system comprises ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) and COMINT (Communications Intelligence) sensors to search, intercept, measure, locate, analyse, classify and monitor communication and radar transmissions. The Electronic Order of Battle (OEB) picture generated by the EL/ I-3001 suite is transmitted in real-time to ground stations for its exploitation via secure line-of-sight data-links, satellite communications and/or HF/VHF/UHF radio sets. The company also claims that the system has been optimised effectively to deal with low probability of intercept transmission sources and is in use with the Israeli defence forces. The last time Embraer offered was a derivative of the EMB-145 with the pull of commonality of platform between these proposed special mission aircraft and the DRDO developed AEW&C currently in the process of being inducted by the IAF. On the other hand, IAI had collaborated with the Gulfstream G200 which it manufactures under licence in Israel. This time
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IAI may offer the new super mid-size Gulfstream G280. Indeed, the G280 based on EW platforms are being touted by IAI as an affordable way of procuring special mission aircraft. Affordability will certainly be a key factor in determining the success of this tender, given that it has already been turned down by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on these grounds. More than the mission systems, the basic cost of the airframe is important for the MoD. Thus vendors who have cobbled up such offerings before with decent maintenance support will have a good chance of winning this tender. Naturally, something like a Gulfstream G550 based offering is likely to be ruled out because that would inflate costs which will not be preferred by MoD. On the other hand, G280 sized jets are likely to be in the sweet spot for this tender. Apart from Embraer and IAI, Saab too, is likely to bid for the tender. From the US, the offerings may come up from Hawker Beechcraft in collaboration with Raytheon, L-3 Communications, Lockheed Martin or Boeing who
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will provide the mission package. L-3 Communications Mission Integration Division (MID) in Greenville, Texas has achieved great success in the special mission space programme. Hawker Beechcraft’s Hawker 800 is already serving in a similar role with the South Korean Air Force with eight such aircraft delivered in 2000. Bombardier or Cessna can also tie up for this purpose. Incidentally, ARC’s first SIGINT platform, which was a Boeing 707 SIGINT was originally modified for the role by the then-US contractor ESystems which is now a part of Raytheon. But, according to reliable sources, participation from US manufacturers may also depend on how much the Indians are willing to pay during the final analysis. For India, familiarity with a manufacturer and technology transfer will be an important consideration for this tender. In that perspective Embraer and IAI are probably ahead. In any case, successful completion of this tender within a decent timeframe will be a great achievement for India as its neighbours are resorting from both fronts.
June 2013