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Radar Challenge
BEL to develop active phased array radars
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While BEL entered the field of radars in 1964, it has recently made notable breakthroughs in surveillance radars, upgrading the flycatcher all-weather anti-aircraft weapon control system, and in developing the weapon locating radar presently under user trials.
Designed by the LRDE, Bangalore, BEL has successfully developed the Battle-Field Surveillance Radar-Short Range (BFSR-SR) with a range of 12km. The BFSR-SR is man-portable weighing 30kg excluding accessories, battery operated surveillance radar that employs cutting edge technology. Some of its features are: J-band pulse Doppler radar with built-in test equipment, it tracks while scanning about 50 targets, the classification of targets is based on audio Doppler signature, it has inbuilt global positioning system for self-location, night vision cameras, a number of radars can be networked, is easy to use and has menu driven user interface based on Windows NT, its instrumental range is 18km, it has low probability of intercept with low peak power, has provision to overlay geographic maps, and can operate round the clock in all weather conditions.
In terms of performance, it has distinctive detection features where crawling man can be pinned down at 500m, single man walking at two km, a moving group of people at five kms, moving light vehicles at eight km, and moving heavy vehicles at 10kms. The radar can be mounted on a tower or on top of a building. It can also be operated from the ground at a distance of 100m. The AGM, military radars, B.G. Ananthamurthy told FORCE that the BFSR-SR can be ‘deployed in less than three minutes.’ Once deployed, the radar can scan a specified sector, while scanning multiple targets including low flying helicopters. The disassembled radar can be carried in backpacks by three people, to any location and is deployed on a tripod. While BEL has all reasons to be proud of the indigenous BFSR-SR, another achievement is the 40km BFSR-Medium Range ground based radar that is being manufactured in collaboration with ELTA, Israel since 2002-2003. The radar uses a 30m mast, whose technology was procured from Thales, France, as well as the BEL-developed 17m mast.
Meanwhile, the upgraded version of flycatcher radar has entered service since 2003. The flycatcher has been manufactured under license from HSA, Holland since late Eighties. According to Ananthamurthy, upgrade includes an improved autonomous search and tracking radar capabilities and the data input unit has been modified with electronic keyboard. Earlier the radar worked first in the S band before the K band would take over, now it is no longer the case and the radar can operate in the K band itself; the acquisition gate range has been widened more than the earlier one km, thereby making deception jamming by the enemy difficult; and a prediction computer has been provided. In short, the ECCM capability has been introduced in the vintage radar and broad band has been widened to obviate jamming.
BEL has also upgraded the Superfledermous (SFM) fire control radars. The SFM is the first family of radars manufactured by BEL under license collaboration with Contraves, Switzerland. Commencing production in 1964, a large number of these X band, pulse radars using value technology were delivered to the army since 1985. Some of these radars have been upgraded to include features such as monopulse, Moving Target Indicator, digital computer and enhanced ECCM capability. In fact, the SFM family of radars was succeeded by flycatcher. Probably, the biggest achievement of BEL is the recent Weapon Locating Radar that incorporates active phased array radar technology.
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