BEL to supply multiple technologies to Indian Armed Forces

BEL said it will deliver 12 units of the Swathi weapon locating radar (pictured) to the Indian Army by 2025, under a INR9.91 billion contract. (BEL)

Indian public sector undertaking (PSU) Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has secured multiple contracts from the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) to supply systems related to communication, air defence, electronic warfare (EW), electronic support measures (ESM), and radars to all the three services of the armed forces.

BEL will supply three systems to the Indian Army, namely the Swathi weapon locating radar (WLR) under a INR9.91 billion (USD120.6 million) contract; the Automated Air Defence Control and Reporting System (Project Akashteer) under a INR19.82 billion contract; and the Instant Fire Detection and Suppressing System (IFDSS) for the T-72 tanks, BEL said on 30 March.

The MoD said on 30 March it will procure 12 units of the Swathi WLR's “plains variant” for the Indian Army. The Swathi WLR has been developed by the state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO's) Electronics and Radar Development Establishment unit (LRDE) to locate guns, mortars, and rockets of hostile troops and facilitate their destruction through counter bombardment. These Swathi WLR units are expected to be inducted by the Indian Army by 2025.

The MoD added that Project Akashteer, on the other hand, will enhance the army's air-defence capabilities by enabling the monitoring of low-level airspace over battle areas and controlling ground-based air-defence weapon systems.