Sukhoi Fighter Aircraft: DRDO Developed Fighter Jets With Indigenous Technology

Air Force Day Special: Jodhpur has two squadrons of Sukhoi, DRDO has developed indigenous Uttam Radar, which was showcased at Jodhpur Defence Expo

The frontline fighter jet Sukhoi-30 MKI is being upgraded with indigenous technology. Specifically, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed an indigenous Uttam Radar, which will equip Sukhoi-30 with the capability of a 4.5-generation fighter jet. The Uttam Radar was showcased at the Jodhpur Defence Expo last month.

Different Generation

Currently, there are 259 Sukhoi-30 fighter jets in the country, which are Generation-4 jets. The Indian Air Force has two squadrons of Sukhoi-30 at Jodhpur airbase, with around 36 aircraft. After the technology transfer from Russia, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has been producing Sukhoi. Generation-5 fighter jets are now being developed. The Rafale is a Generation-4.5 fighter jet. Therefore, Sukhoi’s capability is being upgraded.

Multi-mode Solid State

The Uttam Radar was developed for the indigenous fighter jet Tejas MK-A, but it is a multi-mode solid-state active phased array fire control radar with a scalable architecture, which can be fitted on various types of fighter jets.

Uttam Radar

The Uttam Radar uses the SLC channel to jam enemy radar signals, making it difficult for them to detect the fighter jet’s signal. This makes the fighter jet’s role more effective in air-to-air combat. The Uttam Radar provides stealth technology-like capabilities to the fighter jet. The radar is fully electronically scanned and has a wideband RF front end and an ultra-low sidelobe antenna, which provides better detection in an electromagnetic environment.