The Indian Cabinet Committee on Security approved six new made-in-India Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft (AEW&C).

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An Indian Air's Airbus A319 (Picture source: Sean D Silva)

An airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system is an airborne radar picket system designed to detect aircraft, ships, vehicles, missiles, and other incoming projectiles at long ranges and perform command and control of the battlespace in an air engagement by directing fighter and attack aircraft strikes. AEW&C units are also used to carry out surveillance, including over ground targets and frequently perform C2BM (command and control, battle management) functions similar to an Air Traffic Controller given military command over other forces. When used at altitude, the radar on the aircraft allows the operators to detect and track targets and distinguish between friendly and hostile aircraft much farther away than a similar ground-based radar. Like a ground-based radar, it can be detected by opposing forces, but because of its mobility and extended sensor range, it is much less vulnerable to counter-attacks

The six AEW&C aircraft cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security on September 8 will be a conversion of six A319 airliners from Air India.  

The Airbus A319 is a member of the Airbus A320 family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger twin-engine jet airliners manufactured by Airbus. The A319 carries 124 to 156 passengers and has a maximum range of 3,700 nmi (6,900 km; 4,300 mi).

These commercial aircraft will be modified to fly with a radar that will give 360-degree surveillance capability to the defence forces.