Defence Ministry has signed ₹1,950 crore deal with Bharat Electronics Limited to supply two indigenous Mountain Radars for IAF. Developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation, these radars will improve air surveillance in high-altitude areas. The deal supports Aatmanirbhar Bharat and strengthens defence capabilities.
New Delhi: In a significant stride toward realising India’s vision of self-reliance in defence manufacturing, the Ministry of Defence on Tuesday inked a capital acquisition contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the procurement of two state-of-the-art Mountain Radars, along with associated equipment and requisite infrastructure, for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The contract is valued at approximately ₹1,950 crore.
Advancing ,Aatmanirbhar Bharat, in Defence
The contract has been concluded under the Buy (Indian – Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured), or IDDM, category — the highest priority classification under the Defence Acquisition Procedure.
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“This designation underscores the government’s firm commitment to promoting domestic defence industrial capacity and reducing strategic dependence on foreign suppliers,” an official said.
The Mountain Radar system has been indigenously conceptualised, designed, and developed by the Electronics & Radar Development Establishment (LRDE), a premier laboratory under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
BEL, a Navratna defence public sector undertaking, will be responsible for the serial production, integration, and delivery of the systems.
Strategic and Operational Significance
Designed specifically for deployment in challenging high-altitude and mountainous terrain, the Mountain Radar is engineered to provide robust, all-weather air surveillance and threat detection capabilities along India’s sensitive borders.
Upon successful installation and commissioning, these radars will significantly enhance the IAF’s situational awareness, strengthen the country’s integrated air defence network, and contribute directly to national security.
The induction of these systems is expected to fill a critical operational gap in India’s radar coverage across difficult geographic corridors, where conventional surveillance infrastructure faces inherent limitations.
Deepening the Defence Industrial Ecosystem
“The contract represents a tangible outcome of the Government of India’s Make in India initiative in the defence sector, reinforcing its policy of prioritising indigenously developed platforms and systems.”
“The collaboration between DRDO’s research establishment and BEL’s manufacturing expertise exemplifies the model of public sector synergy that the government seeks to replicate across defence acquisition programmes.”
