The Army has decided to acquire more gun-locating radars from the US even though it is being virtually forced to bank on indigenous technology, which is still being developed, for most of its requirements.Defence Ministry sources said India has placed orders for four more gun-locating radars with US firm Thales Raytheon Corporation. The contract for 12 radars is worth $186 million. While the US army has loaned two radars to India, as many as 12 radars will be sold by next year.The Army still needs 35 radars but will have to depend on the Bangalore-based Electronic Radar Development Establishment (ERDE) which is in the process of developing them. While 12 radars will be with the Army by late next year, the induction of the others could be delayed till 2008. Presently, the ERDE has produced a battlefield surveillance radar as it starts work on developing gun-locating radars.During a presentation to the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Defence early this week, the Army listed the gun-locating radars as a major requirement. In fact, during the Kargil conflict, the Army was severely handicapped by the absence of the radars in its inventory. Pakistan, which already has a few of these radars in its arsenal, caused heavy casualties on the Indian side, Army sources said.The Army had finalised the acquisition of the radars in 1998 but had to do without them when the US clamped sanctions in the wake of the nuclear tests the same year.
