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The Indian Defence Ministry has wrapped up the formal procedures to pave the way for the $100 million deal to acquire 20 Low Level Transportable Radars (LLTRs). The deal has been awarded to Thales of France which emerged as the lowest bidder for the tender floated in 2006. Under the deal, the LLTR will be made by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) under a transfer of technology.
The Indian Air Force has had inadequate surveillance radars and other air defence capabilities are also not meeting the projected demand. The Indian Government is fast tracking weapons and other equipment acquisition projects to overcome the shortcomings of the defence forces.
The LLTR is a low looking radar that helps locate low-flying aircraft and serves as an early warning system. The LLTR systems provide cover against aerial threats operating at low level height (2 kilometers) and have a range of up to 150 kilometers.
Earlier, Thales had to face the unheard of re-tendering in the project to supply LLTR to India on full technology transfer, that too after completing price negotiations and the approval of the deal by the Indian Defence Ministry under the erstwhile NDA regime. The other bidders included Elta of Israel.
However, Thales went for the re-bid as it was determined to offer its sophisticated system. The Thales offer included giving rights to Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to sell the radars in third countries.
India has an ambitious long term plan to acquire radars worth over $1.5 billion in the next five to seven years, which will include the purchase of Medium Power Radars (MPR) besides the LLTRs. IAF also lacks the crucial 3-D MPRs which can detect aerial threats at a height of 2 kilometers and above and a range of 300 kilometers.
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