India's Netra Mk2 Challenging Western Dominance in Airborne Early Warning Systems

The Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) Netra Mk2 Airborne Early Warning and Control system is taking shape on the Airbus A321 platform, with six former Air India commercial jets being converted by AI Engineering Services Limited.

The Netra Mk2 is a landmark project for India's domestic aviation industry, with Adani Defence Systems & Technologies Limited acting as the primary partner for integrating the complex mission systems and contracted to provide lifecycle support for 30 years.

In contrast to the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail, which uses a heavily modified Boeing 737 Next Generation airframe and relies on Northrop Grumman's Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar, the Netra Mk2 features a split-antenna setup with an AESA radar mounted on its back, supplemented by an additional radar array in the nose of the plane.

The E-7 Wedgetail boasts a full 360-degree view of the airspace without any moving external parts, but the Netra Mk2's design is a calculated choice to balance high-end capabilities with manageable technical complexity and ensure the project can be developed domestically within budget and timeline constraints.