New Delhi: India showed the world a new kind of sting at Aero India. Chennai’s Data Patterns pulled a cloak off the HAWK family of the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars. The crowd saw a fully indigenous design aimed squarely at modernising ageing fighter fleet.
This is not a small kit. The HAWK-I 2700 wears roughly 2,700 transmit/receive modules. The radar claims to spot a 5-square-metre target from as far as 350 kilometres. That kind of reach changes how a fighter sees and fights.
Data Patterns also built a compact sibling, the HAWK-I 900. The smaller unit fits lighter jets such as the MiG-29, the Tejas LCA Mk-1 and naval MiG-29Ks. The company says the 900 variant gives more than 150 kilometres of detection and aims to replace troubled Russian naval radars.
What makes these radars different is the guts inside. Both HAWK models use Gallium Nitride, or GaN, semiconductors that give higher power, better heat handling and longer detection reach than older parts. That tech lift helps explain the sudden interest from operators who fly Su-30 and MiG-29 families worldwide.
Practical tests are already on the radar-table. Data Patterns cleared ground trials and now asks the Indian Air Force for flight trials on a Su-30MKI. The company pitches the system as a plug-and-play upgrade. The payoff could be big: lower upgrade bills and new life for hundreds of fighters.
For fleet commanders, the numbers tell a story. More Transmit/Receive Modules (TRMs) usually mean finer resolution and better target handling. A Su-30 with a powerful AESA becomes a different animal in long-range detect-and-engage missions. Pilots get earlier warning, better tracking and more chances to win the duel.
Navies and air forces watching Russian radar troubles now see a home-grown option. The HAWK-I 900 moves into a gap where some Zhuk-ME variants reportedly struggled, especially at sea. Operators hungry for reliability suddenly have a made-in-India contender on the table.
Industry people call this a strategic moment. A successful HAWK rollout boosts India’s self-reliance in mission-critical electronics. The upgrade path for 272 Su-30MKIs figures on many planners’ checklists. A domestic radar that cuts import bills by a third could tilt procurement decisions.
Sceptics ask the right questions. Flight-proven performance, integration headaches, cooling under combat stress and long-term sustainment remain tests the radar must pass. Data Patterns will need flawless flight trials and quick fixes to prove the HAWK can beat legacy systems in real operations.
The HAWK story matters beyond contracts. It signals a maturing Indian defence industry. It shows private firms moving from components to full-system solutions. If the HAWK family delivers as promised, export talks for Su-30 and MiG-29 operators could turn serious, and older radars may find a hard route out of service.
Data Patterns has put a bright target on the table. The HAWK family promises longer reach, GaN power and options for both heavy and light fighters. Flight trials will decide if this promise becomes a global ripple that retools ageing fleets and redraws radar maps.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
