“While one Aerostat system is working well, the other system was damaged due to [a] sudden strong gust of wind on May 27, 2009, and became nonoperational. Steps have been initiated for recovery of the system,” Antony told parliament Wednesday.
The damaged radar will be out of service until the end of 2012 and cost 3 billion rupees ($5.7 million) to repair. It is hovering at an altitude of 15,000 ft.
India signed a 6.76 billion rupee contract for two Aerostats with the Israeli defense company Rafael in 2002. The Aerostats, capable of detecting low-flying fighter aircraft up to 250 km away and efficient in signal intelligence, were commissioned by the air force in 2007 and 2008. Rafael promised 10-year lifespans for the Aerostats.
India’s auditing agency, the comptroller and auditor general (CAG), said in September that the country’s air defense capabilities took a major hit because the damaged Aerostat is unusable. The CAG report said the radar, which was deployed along the country’s western border to monitor low-flying aircraft, was “damaged substantially” because there were inadequate personnel to monitor its deployment. “The IAF could issue the request for proposals to vendors for damage assessment in April 2010 and the contract was not concluded by June 2011,” the report said.
Three IAF officers faced disciplinary action after a court of inquiry held them responsible for the failure to adequately supervise the radar’s maintenance operations.
- Aviationweek
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