NEW DELHI: As part of the government’s efforts to strengthen indigenous defence capabilities of the country, the Ministry of Defence has inked a capital acquisition contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Ghaziabad, for the procurement of Low-level Transportable Radar, LLTR (Ashwini) at a cost of ₹2,906 crore. The radar is indigenously designed and developed by Electronics & Radar Development Establishment, DRDO. The contract was signed in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh in New Delhi on Wednesday.LLTR (Ashwini) is an active electronically scanned phased array radar based on state-of-the-art solid state technology, MoD said in a statement.
The radar is capable of tracking aerial targets from high-speed fighter aircraft to slow moving targets such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and helicopters. Its acquisition will significantly enhance the operational preparedness of the Indian Air Force, it said.
The programme is a major step towards achieving self-reliance in defence manufacturing by reducing dependency on Foreign Origin Equipment Manufacturers besides acting as a catalyst for the development of defence industrial ecosystem in the country, it added.
