All you need to know about India made Virupaksha radar that is set to revolutionise Su-30MKI fighter jets

New Delhi: India’s Virupaksha radar is set to revolutionise the country’s fleet of Su-30MKI fighter jets given its leap in technology that would allow these aircraft to fire multiple air-to-air or air-to-ground missiles at targets besides doubling their ability to track, detect and neutralise threats from the adversary.

Designing of the Virupaksha radar has started under a “Make in India” project, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) through its sister organisation, Electronics & Radar Development Establishment (LRDE) in cooperation with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).

India is already at an advanced stage in the development of the Virupaksha radar and LRDE is about to fit the prototype of this radar on the Sukhoi-30MKI combat aircraft.

This radar will utilize Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology, which offers advantages such as greater range and improved performance compared to traditional Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) systems. The AESA technology allows for simultaneous tracking of multiple targets and enhances the aircraft's ability to engage threats effectively. This helps in Reduced size, Weight, and Power (SWAP) on account integration of GaN technology.

The introduction of the Virupaksha radar will enable the Su-30MKI jets to fire multiple air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, thereby doubling their capability to track, detect, and neutralize threats.

The radar is part of India’s Make in India initiative, aiming to bolster indigenous defence capabilities and reduce reliance on foreign technology.

The IAF plans to upgrade 84 Su-30MKI aircraft with this radar as part of a larger modernization effort, which is estimated to cost around ₹65,000 crore.

During trials, the sophisticated radar has been able to track 64 to 100 targets simultaneously. Furthermore, it is vital for an Air Force pilot to launch multiple air-to-air missiles and Virupaksha radar has been successful in controlling, manoeuvring, and steering six missiles at a target concurrently in air-to-air attack mode.

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