Jaguar fighter plane with advanced radar takes off for the first time

New Delhi: An upgraded Jaguar fighter aircraft fitted with an AESA (active electronically scanned array) radar was flown for the first time on Thursday. The initiative has been taken by test pilots at defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

The Jaguar Darin III is upgraded for the Indian Air Force (IAF). It has state-of-the-art AESA radar and improved features like multi target tracking frequency agility, higher bandwidth of operation, interleaved modes of operation, higher accuracies and resolution, reported the Times of India.

HAL has developed the features in collaboration with Israeli firm ELTA. Both HAL and ELTA had reportedly completed the ground trials in February. Apart from the AESA radar, the aircraft will also be equipped with 28 new sensors, among other things.

The Jaguar Darin III is likely to facilitate the IAF for another decade. Having received the IOC (initial operational clearance) in November 2016, the aircraft is believed to have satisfied the IAF with its initial upgrade plan and new features.

"The upgrade incorporates new state-of-the-art avionics architecture including the Open System Architecture Mission Computer (OSAMC), Engine and Flight Instrument System (EFIS), Fire Control Radar, Inertial Navigation System with GPS and Geodetic height correction, et al," said HAL.

It further added that the plane will also boast of Solid State Digital Video Recording System (SSDVRS), Solid State Flight Data Recorder (SSFDR), Smart Multi-Function Display (SMD), Radio Altimeter with 20,000 ft range, Autopilot with Alt Select and Identification of Friend or Foe (IFF).