India's radar development community has outlined four key priorities that will shape the next generation of indigenous surveillance and tracking systems, reflecting the growing complexity of modern air defence environments and the emergence of increasingly difficult targets such as nano drones and stealth aircraft.

Speaking on the future direction of radar technology, B K Das, Director General (Electronics and Communication Systems) at DRDO, and M Sheikh Althaf, Director of the Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE), highlighted the operational challenges that Indian engineers are seeking to overcome through advanced indigenous development.

The first priority is enabling radars to operate effectively in highly congested electromagnetic environments. Modern battlefields are saturated with multiple radars, communication networks, electronic warfare systems and jammers functioning simultaneously, creating a demanding environment in which sensors must continue to perform reliably.

The second priority is frequency agility. Future radar systems are being designed to rapidly shift between relatively interference-free frequency bands, allowing them to maintain target tracks even when subjected to hostile jamming and electronic attack.

A third area of focus involves larger power apertures and improved elevation agility. These enhancements are intended to strengthen the detection of increasingly small and difficult targets, particularly compact drones, while also improving the ability to track threats approaching from higher altitudes and challenging flight profiles.

The fourth priority centres on advanced micro-Doppler processing. This technology enables radar systems to analyse subtle motion signatures, helping operators distinguish between very small drones and naturally occurring objects such as birds. As unmanned aerial threats continue to proliferate, such discrimination capability is becoming increasingly important.

Das stated that Indian engineers have already developed systems capable of tracking stealth platforms, underlining the progress achieved by the country's radar research community in addressing low-observable threats.

Althaf added that indigenous radar systems are now capable of detecting and tracking nano drones, a significant achievement given the extremely small radar signatures associated with such targets.

The Electronics and Radar Development Establishment has been at the forefront of India's radar modernisation efforts, contributing to a broad portfolio that includes early warning, surveillance, fire-control and airborne radar technologies for the armed forces.

Production of these systems is supported primarily by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), which remains the principal manufacturing partner for many of DRDO's radar programmes and has played a central role in translating laboratory-developed technologies into operational capabilities.

India's growing stature in the global radar community will also be reflected in its hosting of IEEE RadarConf 2027 in Bangalore from 1 to 7 May 2027. The event will mark the first time in the conference's 47-year history that it is being held in Asia, underscoring the increasing international recognition of the country's advances in radar science, sensor technologies and electronic warfare systems.

Agencies