Indian Air Force Jaguar. Photo courtesy of the Indian Air Force
India has successfully flown an upgraded fighter with an active electronically scanned array radar for the first time, several news outlets reported. The Jaguar Darin III, which Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. is upgrading for the Indian Air Force, was reportedly equipped with radars procured from Israel’s ELTA.
The aircraft is also set to be upgraded with improved multi-target tracking frequency, higher accuracies and higher resolution, according to multiple reports. The fighter would reportedly have an open system architecture mission computer, engine and flight instrument system, fire control radar, and inertial navigation system with GPS. Other features include smart multi-function display, autopilot with alt select and identification friend or foe, and others. In all, the Jaguar Darin III is equipped with a reported 28 new sensors.
According to India.com, this upgrade should allow the aircraft to fly for at least 10 more years. The report also said that the Indian Air Force currently has six Jaguar squadrons, with 20 aircraft in each.