Raytheon-TATA in USD 24 million deal for Indian Air Force Traffic Management

(India Defense) : Raytheon has bagged a USD 23.2 million contract from Tata Power Strategic Electronic Systems to automate air traffic management systems of the Indian Air Force. This was first reported at the Paris Air Show earlier this summer.

The contract was part of project for modernization of its airfield infrastructure (MAFI) of the Indian Air Force. The project aims to make all IAF air bases capable of handling all types of modern transport and fighter aircraft at all times.

From Economic Times:

Tata Power Strategic Electronic Systems is the prime contractor of the project, which is undertaking the programme to upgrade 30 airbases of IAF in the first phase of the project. Raytheon also has tie-ups in India with L&T and BEL, and is eyeing a bigger presence in India in the long term.

In the MAFI project, Raytheon Network Centric Systems will supply a variant of its globally deployed AutoTrac family of air traffic management systems. Raytheon NCS command and control systems vice president Andy Zogg said the company's AutoTrac system would provide IAF with a modern automated systems backbone for easier and rapid incorporation of new tools and functionality as they become available.

The US-based $25-billion Ratyehon has a presence in electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the area of sensing, and offers a broad range of mission support services, among others.

The Indian defence market has attracted the attention of defence and aerospace players at the Paris Air Show here, particularly in the backdrop of projections that the country's defence market could be in the range of $ 80 billion over the next 4-5 years. There are also expectations among participants here that the Indian defence sector would opt for unmanned air vehicles, tactical missiles destroyers and more radar-based warfare systems in the coming years.