SU-30 MKI mini-AWACS : Hybrid PESA to AESA Radar

Bars N011M Radar: A hybrid PESA

Sukhoi’s SU-30MKI forms the backbone of Indian Air Force with nearly 260 of them in active service. The fighter jet is integrated with a powerful N011M Bars PESA Radar. However, the little-known fact about this radar is that it's not a complete PESA or AESA radar. It is a hybrid radar with features of PESA & AESA radar. 

Each transceiver of the Bars radar has its own receiver amplifier just like an AESA radar and similar sensitivity and sidelobe performance. However, for transmitting the radar uses single travelling wave tube like PESA radar. Each transceiver is having noise level of 3dB which is again similar to an AESA radar.

The N011M Bars antenna consists of 2 separate electronically controlled arrays which are: an X band radar with 8-12GHz frequency and a L Band IFF transponder with 1-2GHz frequency. The radar has peak power of 4-5 kW and is capable of beaming in 400 microseconds – which is a huge improvement over the mechanically scanned PESA radar. It won’t be easy to jam the N011M Bars radar as it can change its frequency just like an AESA radar.

The radar can scan up to +/-70 degree in azimuth and +/- 45 degree in vertical axis. It can be mechanically steered to +/-55 degree off boresight. This adds up to gives a full +/-100 degree off boresight in forward hemisphere with 3dB noise which is again similar to the performance of an AESA Radar.

SU-30 MKI : A mini AWACS

In Air-to-Air mode, N011M can track 15 targets and engaged 4 simultaneously. It has 400 km search range, 200 km track range & 60 km track range in rear.

For an aircraft of size of a tanker or refueller, the N011M has a 350 km search range and a 200 km tracking range. It can detect a MiG-21 fighter from a range of 135 km and an F-16 from a range of 140-160 km.

The SU-30MKI can function as a mini-AWACS (airborne warning and command systems) as a director or command post for other aircraft. The target coordinates can be transferred automatically to at least four other aircraft.

In air-to-ground or maritime mode, the aircraft can track 15 targets & engage 2. For tanks it has detection range of 60km and for Naval ships or destroyers its range is 90-120 km. It also features include Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging (SAR), Doppler beam sharpening, real beam mapping and Ground/Maritime Moving Target Indicator (GMTI/MMTI).

This context of the existing SU-30 MKI radar was important to understand before we talk about its upgrade which is going to take good amount of time.

Uttam AESA Radar

However, an AESA radar has its own advantage of better detection range & better ECM capabilities. As we are all aware that the development of baseline Uttam AESA radar for LCA Tejas Mark1A is complete and on 26th August 2022, the DRDO has formally completed the transfer of technology (ToT) for the production of the Uttam AESA radar to HAL. 

However, the version of Uttam AESA radar being developed for SU-30 MKI is going to an improved Gallium Arsenide based radar with more densely packed quad TR modules which enables to pack more T/R modules in same space. Further SU-30 MKI has a bigger nose cone which allows fighter to jet to have higher number of T/R modules. It is expected to feature approximately 1200-1300 T/R modules.

This would require the development of a new upscaled version of Uttam AESA radar. As per reports from DDR, the IAF has initiated the development of a scaled-up version of the Uttam to equip the Su-30MKI fighter fleet. IAF will depute some Su-30 MKI units for the development, integration, flight-testing and certification of radar. 

The development of this scaled-up Uttam derivative i.e. for the Su-30 MKI will require 36-48 months, with flight testing estimated to begin after 24 months. Considering these timelines, the Uttam AESA radar for SU-30 MKI is expected to be ready by 2029.

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