Received via social media DRDO flight test bed for UTTAM AESA radar. Seems to be hectic grind is ongoing for the deadline to fit UTTAM on Tejas MK-1A jets.



The Times of India quoted in Feb 2021, Defence Research and Development Organisation's Chairman, Sateesh Reddy, as saying, "We will have the Uttam radar from the 21st Tejas Mk-1A to be produced. Uttam has performed better than anticipated in the trials so far."

Reddy further added that they had signed an MoU with the HAL regarding the same. About 63 of the 83 therefore will be indigenous Uttam radars developed by the DRDO lab, LRDE (Electronics and Radar Development Establishment).

Uttam is an AESA radar that is capable of tracking targets and taking hi-resolution pictures required for reconnaissance missions. The project director of Uttam, Seshagiri P, said that it was being tested on two LCAs and one executive jet.

"On the LCAs, testing is for air-to-air mode at present. The range of the radar should be almost commensurate to launch a BVR (beyond visual range) weapon; it’s specified to be so. But we’re getting a range that’s better than that. We are a couple of sorties away from starting a joint evaluation. After this, it will be ready for user evaluation." Seshagiri further added.

Various media reports have indicated that Uttam AESA radar has already been tested in air-to-air, air-to-sea, and air-to-ground modes while another two modes called navigation or terrain avoidance mode and weather mode to avoid rain-bearing clouds. Furthermore, Uttam AESA radar has a low probability of intercept to avoid being detected by enemy fighters or radar warning receivers (RWRs).