Arudhra Radar Features: Arudhra is one of India’s important home-made air surveillance radars. It was designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, or DRDO, and will be built by Bharat Electronics Limited, or BEL. In official government words, it is a 4D multi-function phased-array radar with electronic steering in both azimuth and elevation.
It is made to find, watch, and track aircraft in the sky. It also uses a co-located Identification Friend or Foe system, which helps tell friendly aircraft from others. In 2023, the Ministry of Defence signed a contract worth over Rs 2,800 crore for Arudhra for the Indian Air Force. The deal was placed under the “Buy {Indian – IDMM (Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured)}” category, which fits the larger “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” push.
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Arudhra: Features
Arudhra is not just another radar. It is meant to improve the Air Force’s view of the sky and help spot threats much earlier. Open-source reports say it has a detection range of up to 400 km and can detect an aerial object with a radar cross-section of 2 square metres at up to 300 km. The same reports say it can watch targets flying from 100 metres up to 30 kilometres high. That means it can deal with both low-flying and high-altitude threats. The Indian Air Force is also expected to use a mountain-adapted version in hard terrain, so radar coverage can improve in places like Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast.
Part of a bigger Indian radar net
Arudhra is one piece in a larger indigenous radar family. Another system is Ashwini, which DRDO’s Electronics and Radar Development Establishment has built as a low-level transportable radar. In 2025, the Ministry of Defence signed a Rs 2,906 crore deal with BEL for Ashwini. The official release says it can track fast fighter aircraft as well as slower targets like drones and helicopters.
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Rohini is another key radar in this group. DRDO says it is a ground-based mechanically scanning Pulse Doppler radar for air-space surveillance and early warning at airbases. BEL says Rohini is a medium-range radar that can track airborne targets up to 150 km. Together, these systems are helping India build a stronger layered air-defence shield.
