Drone threat: After Operation Sindoor when Pakistan sent swarms of drones across the border and even slipped into Indian airspace, the Indian Army has now decided to make its air defence stronger. During those clashes, Pakistan used camouflaged surveillance and attack drones that were very small and tough to track. This pushed the Army to work on new radar systems that can spot and stop even the tiniest flying objects before they cause damage.
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The new radars are not ordinary ones. They are built in such a way that they can detect and track drones or aircraft that have a very low radar cross section, which basically means they are almost invisible to normal radar. These radars will become part of the Army’s Akashteer air defence network.
New radars and systems
LLLR-E
The Army has already sent out two formal requests for information to possible suppliers. In these, the plan is to get up to 45 Low Level Light Weight Radars (Enhanced), called LLLR-E, and up to 48 Air Defence Fire Control Radar-Drone Detectors, called ADFCR-DD. At the same time, the Army has also released a separate request for proposal for 10 Low Level Light Weight Radars (Improved), or LLLR-I. These systems will play different roles but all of them are meant to make sure India can track and fight back against drone swarms or any low-flying object, reported Indian Express.
LLLR-I
The LLLR-I will be a three-dimensional radar that uses AESA technology. It will come with a commander’s display, a system for target designation, and its own power supply. This radar will work on all types of terrain, from deserts to mountains, even high altitude areas and coastal zones. It can watch the sky for up to 50 kilometers and track over 100 objects at the same time, making it very powerful in busy airspace.
The LLLR-E is a little different because it not only has similar radar features but also carries an Electro-Optical Tracking System and a passive radio-frequency detector. These extra features will allow the radar to pick up the signals of low radar cross-section drones, even if they are moving in swarms. It can then send that information to weapon systems as far as 10 kilometers away. The electro-optical tracker can work both during the day and at night, either on its own or after being cued by radar.
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ADFCR-DD
The ADFCR-DD will be an all-in-one system with a search radar, tracking radar, fire control system, and Identification Friend-or-Foe. The Army plans to mount it on a single vehicle so it can move quickly with troops. This system will be able to control the fire of at least two L/70 guns or any gun that comes after it. It will also pass target details to Very Short Range Air Defence Systems, which are made to bring down enemy aircraft or drones at very close range.
Lessons from Operation Sindoor
The Army’s reports say that in Operation Sindoor, Pakistan depended heavily on drone swarms not only for watching Indian positions but also to try and hit both defence and civilian sites. Even though India’s existing air defence guns like the L/70, ZU 23-2, and Schilka worked very well against those drones, the Army believes that pairing these guns with modern fire control radars will make them much more deadly against any such attack in the future.
The Army also explained that the new fire control systems should do more than just tracking. They must collect target information from multiple radars and electro-optical systems, quickly work out the firing solutions, and then send those details to both gun systems and shoulder-fired air defence missiles.
