India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is progressing its next-generation airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, the NETRA MK-2, onto an Airbus A321 platform to deliver substantial improvements in endurance, payload capacity, and operational altitude.

The A321 airframe offers significantly greater internal volume and fuel carriage compared to the Embraer ERJ‑145 used in the MK‑1 variant, enabling longer missions and increased sensor payloads for extended airspace surveillance.

The upcoming NETRA MK-2 introduces wing and engine anti‑icing systems to bolster all-weather operational capability, a critical enhancement for high‑altitude and maritime surveillance environments.

This upgrade will ensure reliable performance in adverse weather, maintaining continuous radar coverage and sensor operation in varying climatic conditions across India’s diverse theatre zones.

Incorporation of expanded mission avionics marks another leap forward, integrating advanced radar arrays, electronic support measures, and communication suites optimised for network‑centric warfare.

This extensive avionics suite allows seamless interoperability with the Indian Air Force’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), enhancing real‑time situational awareness and coordinating responses across multiple aircraft and ground units.

The transition to the A321 platform significantly extends sortie durations, allowing the aircraft to remain on station for far longer durations while covering wider geographical zones, including critical maritime sectors such as the Indian Ocean Region.

With improved altitude thresholds and greater power availability for onboard systems, the NETRA MK-2 will provide superior sensor uptime, faster data fusion capabilities, and enhanced electronic counter‑countermeasure (ECCM) resilience.

The DRDO’s Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) leads development with close collaboration from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Airbus Defence. Once operational, the NETRA MK-2 fleet will complement existing Phalcon AWACS and NETRA MK‑1 units, forming a multi‑tiered early warning network for air and maritime domain awareness, vital for India’s expanding integrated air defence architecture.

IDN (With Agency Inputs)