SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
Chennai-based Data Patterns made a strong impression at Aero India 2025, held from February 10–14 at Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru, with its HAWK I 900 radar—a Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) system featuring 900 Transmit/Receive Modules (TRMs).
In an exclusive interview with idrw.org, company representatives highlighted the radar’s advanced capabilities, including its integration with a repositioner enabling 70 to 100 degrees of rotation, a feature demonstrated live at the exhibition. This compact yet powerful radar, a scaled-down variant of the HAWK I 2700 developed for the Su-30 MKI, has piqued the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) interest, particularly for upgrading its MiG-29UPG fleet, which is slated for a life extension of another 10 years, pushing its service life into the late 2030s.
Designed with versatility in mind, the HAWK I 900 also targets fighter jets like the LCA-Tejas Mk1A and export markets, positioning it as a contender against the DRDO’s Uttam AESA radar.
The HAWK I 900 leverages GaN technology, a leap over traditional Gallium Arsenide (GaAs)-based systems, offering higher power efficiency, greater range, and superior thermal performance. With 900 TRMs— fewer than the 912–968 in the Uttam Mk1 but optimized for smaller airframes—it delivers robust detection and tracking capabilities, likely exceeding 150 km for fighter-sized targets (based on GaN’s 20–25% range advantage over GaAs, as noted in defence analyses). The repositioner, enabling a 70–100-degree scan arc, enhances its field of view beyond fixed AESA designs, making it adept at multi-role missions—air-to-air, air-to-ground, and electronic warfare.
Showcased rotating in real-time at Aero India 2025, the HAWK I 900 impressed onlookers with its agility and integration readiness. Data Patterns positions it as a scalable solution, derived from the HAWK I 2700—a 2700-TRM behemoth tailored for the Su-30 MKI’s Super Sukhoi upgrade, boasting a 350 km detection range. The HAWK I 900, however, targets lighter platforms like the MiG-29, and LCA-Tejas Mk1A, and potential export clients operating similar jets, blending advanced tech with a compact footprint.
The IAF’s 59 MiG-29UPG jets, upgraded between 2011 and 2021 by Russia’s RAC MiG and HAL, currently rely on the Zhuk-ME pulse-Doppler radar—a mechanically scanned system with a 120 km range against fighter-sized targets. With airframes certified for 40 years (extendable to 48 with overhauls), the fleet’s original retirement timeline of 2035–2040 is now under review for a 10-year extension, pushing service into the late 2030s.
Data Patterns told idrw.org that the IAF had expressed interest in the HAWK I 900 for the MiG-29UPG, viewing it as a plug-and-play upgrade to replace the ageing Zhuk-ME. An AESA radar like the HAWK I 900 offers multi-target tracking (potentially 20+ targets vs. Zhuk-ME’s 10), low probability of intercept (LPI), and resistance to jamming—capabilities absent in the MiG-29’s current setup. With GaN’s efficiency, it could extend detection ranges to 180–200 km, aligning the MiG-29UPG with fourth-generation-plus standards and bridging the gap until the AMCA enters service in the 2030s.
The IAF’s radar upgrade plans are complicated by the DRDO’s Uttam AESA radar, already earmarked for the LCA-Tejas Mk1A (from the 41st unit of 83 ordered, post-Israeli EL/M-2052 integration on the first 40), Tejas MkII, and Su-30 MKI (via the Virupaksha variant with 2400 TRMs). Uttam, with 912 TRMs in its Mk1 guise, has completed 125 test sorties on Tejas prototypes by April 2024, per ADA Director Jitendra Jadhav, boasting air-to-air and air-to-ground modes rivalling the EL/M-2052’s 150–200 km range. A GaN-based Uttam Mk2 is under development for larger platforms, raising the question: why consider HAWK I 900?
For the MiG-29UPG, the IAF has yet to decide between Uttam and HAWK I 900. Uttam’s integration on Tejas Mk1A ( deliveries began in 2024) and plans for Su-30 MKI (post-2025 trials) suggest a unified ecosystem, but its GaAs-based Mk1 may lag behind HAWK I 900’s GaN edge in power and range. Data Patterns’ offering, tailored for export and lighter jets, could fit the MiG-29’s smaller nose cone (similar to Tejas) more readily than a scaled-down Uttam, which is still in testing flux. The IAF’s hesitation reflects a broader dilemma—standardize Uttam for indigenous synergy or diversify with HAWK I 900 for immediate, proven GaN benefits.
NOTE: Article cannot be reproduced without written permission of idrw.org in any form even for YouTube Videos to avoid Copy right strikes. Websites doing illegal reproductions will get DMCA and Legal Notices.