India and Russia are at the last stage of finalising a mega defence deal. Reports note that the deal could be well more than a whopping $4 billion which will take India’s air defence capabilities to a whole new level.
And what is India buying from Russia? A radar system that will place India among a select few nations of the world. The radar system we are talking about is Voronezh, a highly sophisticated and state-of-the-art radar system having a range of around 8000 Km.
It means India will be aware of any aircraft, drone or missile that gets airborne in this radius, covering entire China, South, East and West Asia, including countries like Syria and Turkey.
Till now, only Russia, China, and the US have radar systems with a range of operations exceeding 5,000 km.
The most significant part of this multi-billion deal is that 60% of the Radar system will be manufactured in India by Indian companies. This is in line with the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative and will give a considerable boost to India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem.
Talking about the radar, it is designed in such a way that it will be capable of detecting and tracking threats, including ballistic missiles, fighter jets, and ICBMs.
Russia claims that the radar system can track 500 objects at one time and can even detect stealth aircraft. It will also be capable of delivering detailed data on ICBMs as well as near-Earth objects in space.
Once acquired, the Radar will give India the capability to closely monitor any Chinese misadventure in the strategic Indian Ocean Region, including the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca.
Russia had already operationalised the first Voronezh radar in the year 2009. It means the system is a time-tested platform.
Now, let us understand how this radar will work. First, it will collect data, i.e. target trajectory, speed, and classification of an object. It will then send this data into a central processing hub. The central system will then fuse the information with data from other sources, such as satellites, radars, and sensors to create a real-time consolidated picture of a particular region.
Apart from this, in the current network-centric warfare, the radar is likely to integrate with India’s other air and missile defence systems, including the S-400. Experts believe that the radar system will enhance the S-400’s detection range over 10 times.
The negotiations between Indian and Russian officials regarding the deal have been going on for a while. Last month, a team from Almaz-Antey, the manufacturer of this radar system visited India to interact with the offset partners that will be involved in the project.
Apart from bolstering India’s defence capabilities, the project is expected to generate substantial employment across the country, with over 50 Indian companies involved.
The government plans to deploy this system in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district. It is important to note that Chitradurga already hosts several of India’s secret aerospace facilities that remain hidden from the general public. This is why India is planning to deploy Voronezh in Chitradurga to maintain secrecy as well as to keep an eye on China’s activities in the Indian Ocean region.
Once acquired, the radar will greatly enhance India’s threat-detection and surveillance capabilities around West, South and Central Asia. These will prove instrumental in regions across the Indian Ocean Region helping India to maintain peace and stability in the region.
