DRDO And Adani Sign Deal For Six Surveillance Aircraft Targeting 2032 Induction

India is building its own eyes in the sky. Adani Defence and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) signed agreements on Wednesday for the Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) Mk-II programme, putting India on course to join a group of only five countries that have developed indigenous airborne early warning and control capabilities.

Two separate contracts were signed. The first was between DRDO's Centre for Air Borne Systems (CABS) and AI Engineering Services Limited (AIESL) for the conversion of six Airbus A321 aircraft from commercial to green configuration as the foundation for the new platform. The second contract appoints Adani Defence Systems and Technologies (ADSTL) as the development-cum-production partner (DcPP). The company will develop and integrate the mission systems into the aircraft.

The induction for AEW&C-MKII is planned for 2032-33.

What The Programme Delivers

Airborne early warning and control aircraft serve as airborne command centres, combining long-range radar surveillance, threat detection, secure communications and real-time command and control in a single platform. The Mk-II will significantly expand on existing Indian capabilities across several dimensions:

• Enhanced endurance over current AEW&C assets.

• Advanced airborne surveillance across extended ranges.

• Secure communication systems for contested environments.

• Improved situational awareness for air defence commanders.

Integration with the Indian Air Force's Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), the nationwide network linking surveillance, air defence and operational assets in real time.

Why This Is A Landmark

Adani Defence and Aerospace becomes the first private Indian company to be entrusted with the development, integration and 30-year lifecycle support of an airborne mission platform of this scale and complexity. The programme includes integrated logistics, maintenance, repair and overhaul and technical support across the operational life of all six aircraft.

With only the United States, France, Israel, China and Sweden having developed indigenous AEW&C capabilities, a successful Mk-II programme would place India in that select group. The contracts were signed in New Delhi in the presence of Defence Secretary and DRDO Chairman Rajesh Kumar Singh.

Flight testing of the Mk-II aircraft will be conducted jointly by DRDO's Centre for Airborne Systems, ADSTL and the Indian Air Force, with certification sought from the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification and the Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance.

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