- IAF officials has said that the Indian Air Force(IAF) has identified a shortage of Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft to provide round-the-clock surveillance as a major deficiency after the Balakot air strike.
- An airborne warning and control(AWACS) system is an airborne radar picket system designed to detect aircraft, ships and vehicles at long ranges and perform command and control of the battlespace in an air engagement by directing fighter and attack aircraft strikes.
- India operates only three Israeli Phalcon AWACS and two indigenous Netra AWACS developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO).
- IAF is inducting the third Netra from DRDO.Separately,a proposal for two more Phalcon AWACS has been in the works as it is waiting for final approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
Post Balakot, Indian Air Force zeroes in on key vulnerability
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