Netra Mk-II AEW&C Update: DRDO has issued a tender seeking Indian industry help to design and fabricate the metallic hood / radome (the “metallic structure”) for the active antenna array that will crown the upcoming Netra Mk-II AEW&C platform. This is a concrete, hardware-level step in making Netra Mk-II, the larger, Airbus A321-based airborne early-warning system, a reality.
Netra Mk-II AEW&C Update: What happened?
DRDO has published a tender requesting Indian vendors to develop and fabricate a metallic hood (essentially the radome/structural housing) for the active antenna array intended for the Netra Mk-II platform.
Netra Mk-II Takes Shape as DRDO Floats Key Tender for Active Antenna Array Metallic Structurehttps://t.co/LTRqaSuHM4 pic.twitter.com/g1BWcuWLRN
— idrw (@idrwalerts) December 13, 2025
The tender notice is specific to the antenna’s metallic structural components, a critical, load-bearing and electromagnetic design item that protects and positions the active antenna elements while ensuring the radar’s performance is not compromised. This procurement step signals moving from concept/design into contracted manufacturing and integration work.
What is the Netra Mk-II project?
Netra Mk-II is DRDO’s follow-on AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning & Control) programme building larger, more capable “eyes in the sky” than the earlier Netra variants. Unlike Netra Mk-I/Mk-1A (based on Embraer platforms), Mk-II is being developed around converted Airbus A321 airframes to give much greater endurance, payload and room for sensors and mission crew.
The Mk-II roadmap includes a dorsal fin–mounted S-band AESA (active electronically scanned array) radar plus a nose-mounted X-band array for improved forward coverage, together designed to provide near-all-round surveillance and battle-management functions. The programme has progressed to approvals and industrial contracts in recent years.
Why does the “metallic hood” matter?
At first glance, the phrase metallic hood sounds prosaic, but it’s engineering-critical:
It supports and protects the active antenna panels from aerodynamic loads, rain, ice, and bird strikes while mounted on the aircraft’s dorsal fin.
The hood’s geometry and materials must neither block nor distort the radar beams; it must be radio-transparent or engineered to minimise reflection/attenuation at the radar’s operating bands.
It houses cooling paths, cable penetrations and access panels so the AESA electronics can be maintained and kept within temperature limits.
A poorly designed hood degrades range, beam shape and reliability; a well-designed one enables the AESA to meet its detection and tracking specifications. The tender, therefore, focuses on a component that is both structural and Radio Frequency (RF) sensitive.
What is an AESA (active antenna array)?
An AESA radar is made of many small transmit/receive modules (TRMs); beam direction is changed electronically (no moving dish). Advantages: faster scanning, multi-target tracking, lower vulnerability to jamming, higher reliability (modules fail individually without killing the whole radar), and scalability of power and aperture.
For airborne AEW&C use, AESA gives better detection of aircraft, missiles and even small targets at long ranges compared with older rotating arrays. The metallic hood is the external shell that must preserve those RF behaviours and manage environmental and structural loads.
Who can respond to the tender, and what does DRDO likely expect?
The tender specifically targets Indian aerospace/defence manufacturers and component specialists with the capability to:
- Design and validate load-bearing aerodynamic structures for aircraft external mounts
- Work with RF-friendly materials or composite-metal hybrid solutions
- Integrate cooling, harnessing and access panels for complex electronics
- Pass military qualification and airworthiness tests.
What will the tender inspect or require?
Expect to demonstrate or supply:
Structural design drawings, FEM analysis (load cases, fatigue, bird strike), and static/dynamic testing plans.
RF/EMC analysis showing minimal insertion loss, low reflection and no beam distortion across S- and X-bands (as applicable).
Metallic alloys, treated surfaces, or hybrid composite skins with metallic reinforcements.
Thermal management and IP (ingress protection) designs.
Manufacturing capability (jigs, CNC machining, forming), inspection, and quality control procedures.
Flight-worthiness validation and support for aircraft modification certification.
Security & export control compliance for defence hardware.
Netra Mk-II AEW&C Update: What to expect?
DRDO’s floating of a key hardware tender typically precedes vendor selection, prototype fabrication, ground testing, and then flight-integration trials. Netra Mk-II has moved through approvals and platform selection phases in recent years, with government approvals and A321 airframe conversions part of the roadmap, so this tender indicates the AESA hardware engineering cycle is active and accelerating. Expect months for design and prototyping, then additional months for qualification and flight trials. (Exact dates for delivery will be defined in the tender and broader programme schedule.)
FAQs
Q: Is Netra Mk-II already approved and funded?
Yes, the programme has moved through government approvals and funding allocations in recent years as part of India’s AEW&C modernisation. Specific budgets and phasing have been reported in the defence press and ministry documents.
Q: Will foreign companies be involved?
Aircraft conversion and some system-level work involve international collaboration (e.g., platform modification), but this particular tender is for the Indian industry and focuses on domestic capability for the metallic structure and integration.
Q: How does this differ from Netra Mk-I/Mk-1A?
Mk-II uses a larger airframe (Airbus A321), more powerful AESA radars (dorsal + nose arrays), and increased endurance and payload compared to earlier Embraer-based Mk-I variants.
