Selex Sistemi Integrati, part of the Italian major Finmeccanica company, has inked a contract with state-owned Cochin Shipyard Limited for the delivery of naval radar for India’s indigenous aircraft carrier. As per the contract, the Italian firm Selex will deliver the air surveillance naval radar RAN 40L and IFF radar for the 40,0000 tonne warship INS Vikrant.
The Italian firm Selex Sistemi’s radar called RAN-40L is a 3D long range early warning radar with fully solid state active phased array antenna which is capable of detecting an aircraft up to 400 kilometers. The design of the RAN-40L radar has been proven on the land based 3D RAT-31DL by the firm. The 3D RAT-31DL is the famous long range surveillance radar provided worldwide to the NATO Countries.
SELEX Sistemi Integrati has been a dependable supplier of radar systems for air defence to India and has had a presence in India for almost four decades. In the naval field, the parent company Finmeccanica has supplied three command and control systems for the Godivari and Brahmaputra class frigates and the additional logistic support. The company is also providing the Indian Navy and Air Force with the PAR2080C system, a Precision Approach Radar. Lately, the Italian firm has also realized radars and systems for air traffic control to be set up at a few airports in southern Indian cities.
Meanwhile, defence analysts observed that the RAN-40L radar is apt for the indigenous Indian aircraft carrier since the radar is already in service with the large displacement warships of the navies of the US and Japan. This radar is also being produced for the Italian aircraft carrier, the Cavour. It is also felt by analysts that the same type of radar may well also end up on the Indian Navy’s planned fleet of four LPHs.
SELEX Sistemi Integrati has a reservoir of experience spanning over three decades in the design and development of a wide range of naval radars and sensors. The Italian firm is the supplier of all surveillance and tracking radars to Italian and foreign nations .It has developed some of the world’s most advanced radar systems including the EMPAR multifunction radar associated with the PAAMS missile system, the RAN40L long range radar for the Horizon air defence frigates, the KRO-NOS 3D surveillance and target indication radar, the RAN30X/I and RAN30X/T multi-role medium range radar with two different coverage. |