The recent Final Operational Clearance (FOC) for the Netra MK1 fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) marks a significant milestone for India’s indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) capability, which has evolved from concept work and experimentation since the 1990s. The brief highlights the enduring organisational commitment and persistent efforts of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and IAF in indigenising complex airborne platforms, while underscoring Netra’s contribution in strengthening Mission Sudarshan Chakra.

On 25 June 2026, the Final Operational Clearance (FOC) certificate of India’s indigenous ‘Netra’ Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) System was handed over to the Indian Air Force (IAF) by the officials of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The first of the three Netra MK1 aircraft that the IAF currently operates was inducted on 14 February 2017 following an Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) granted in 2015. Developed for Rs 2425 crores,[1] the remaining two Embraer ERJ-145-based aircraft were delivered in September 2019 and 2023, respectively.[2]

Netra’s FOC signifies operational maturity gained through nine years of experience, including ‘reliable utilisation during Operation Sindoor and Balakot strikes’.[3] It also indicates that, following trials and refinements, the system is combat-proven across its envisaged full spectrum of roles: Early Warning, Surveillance, Electronic Support Measures, Signal Intelligence, Command and Control, and Air Battle Management. It is also pertinent to mention that it strengthens the sensor-shooter network required for Mission Sudarshan Chakra, India’s national mission to enhance its indigenous Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) shield by 2035.[4]

Development Trajectory

While the terms AEW&C and Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) are often used interchangeably, their historical usage reflects a near-linear development trajectory. The ingenious amalgamation of radar and nascent aircraft technologies of the inter-war years led to early forms of Airborne Early Warning (AEW) systems, enabling both airborne and ground-controlled interceptions, such as the Vickers Wellington of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the US Navy’s TBM Avenger.[5]

The first generation of purpose-built AEW&C aircraft included the Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star, Grumman E-1 Tracer, Tupolev Tu-126 and Grumman Hawkeye, enhancing airborne Command and Control (C2) capabilities.[6] Besides being a radar picket, the Warning Star saw action in aid of US fighters during the Vietnam War against the Vietnamese People’s Air Force (VPAF) fighters.[7] Later Warning Star variants included communication monitoring stations and even jamming equipment, leading many historians to consider it an immediate predecessor to the modern-day AEW&C/AWACS.[8]

The term AEW&C gained widespread use in the 1970s and 1980s, especially during the Bekka Valley campaign, with the E-2C Hawkeye demonstrating its effectiveness in enhancing surveillance, integrating the radar picture with ground control posts, and providing battle management assistance to Israeli fighters against pop-up Syrian MiGs.[9] The term AWACS has its genesis in the official designation of the US Boeing E-3 Sentry platform. Analysts also ascribe this to an evolution in the platform’s mission from early warning/surveillance to that of executing offensive air power, especially when the USAF strategy is weighed against the NATO AEW&C construct.[10]

Though militaries still use the two terms for similar platforms, an AWACS may represent a larger aircraft platform, offering greater range and additional Operator Work Stations (OWS), Electronic Support Measures (ESM), and Communication Support Measures (CSM) compared to an AEW&C.[11] The IAF, for example, uses the former terminology for its older rotodome-based EL/W-2090 Phalcon system, which is incorporated onto Russian A-50EI/IL-76 variants and offers longer range and 360-degree coverage. The sleeker Embraer EMB-145I complements this system airframe-based Netra MK1, which is equipped exclusively with domestically developed systems. These include an active electronically scanned array (AESA) primary surveillance radar, alongside data links, software-defined radio (SDR) radios and electronic support (ES) capabilities.[12]

Indigenisation, Netra, DRDO and the IAF

Netra’s FOC certification is widely cited as a flagship success in indigenisation.[13] This........

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