The government has greenlit a substantial Rs 6,000 crore initiative aimed at erecting advanced high-power radars along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to effectively surveil the activities of the Chinese Air Force. Larsen & Toubro is slated to manufacture these radars.
According to defense sources who spoke to India Today, these domestically manufactured radars are slated for deployment along both the LAC and the Line of Control with Pakistan. Specifically, their primary function will be to monitor the activities of the Chinese Air Force, particularly in the Ladakh sector.
The sources elaborated that while radar coverage is relatively straightforward along the western front encompassing Rajasthan, Punjab, and Gujarat sectors, extending coverage from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh in the Northeast presents significant challenges due to the rugged terrain.
Enhanced radar coverage has assumed paramount importance in light of the Chinese force's perceived provocative maneuvers along the eastern front.
Notably, the Chinese Air Force initiated probing actions to gauge Indian responses to its encroachments in the Demchok sector of Ladakh by dispatching fighter planes. In response, the Indian Air Force swiftly and robustly reacted by dispatching its fighter jets to the Demchok sector from nearby air bases.
Additionally, another significant project greenlit by the Cabinet Committee on Security, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, involves the procurement of Close-in Weapon Systems.
These systems are earmarked for deployment to safeguard critical assets and strategic locations, as per top defense sources apprised of the matter by India Today.
