New Delhi, May 28
The Indian Air Force (IAF) today inducted its first airborne warning and control system (AWACS) called the “Phalcon” or “eye-in-the-sky”.

With this, commanders will be able to detect aircrafts or missiles within parts of China, the entire Pakistan and parts of Afghanistan. This will also provide India with the capability to keep an eye on enemy activities in air, land and the sea.

Two other such spy planes will join the IAF by the end of the year and with this ability to see into enemy territory will go beyond the vision of ground-based and tethered electromagnetic sensors. A highly sophisticated radar has been mounted on an IL-76 transport plane and the project has been carried out jointly by India-Russia and Israel.

Defence Minister AK Antony dedicated the plane to the nation by “handing it” over to the IAF Chief, Air Chief Marshall Fali Homi Major at a ceremony attended by Ambassadors Konstantin Vasikiev and Mark Soffer of Russia and Israel, respectively.

The induction of the “eye-in-the-sky” comes just one month after India launched a spy-satellite in the space that can look through clouds and fog.Meanwhile, the media reports from Pakistan said the neighbouring country had reacted sharply over this. Chief of the Pakistan Air Force, Air Chief Air Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, was quoted as saying that “this will trigger an arms race in the region.

Suleman added that Pakistan would induct 500 American-built beyond visual range (BVR) missiles to counter threat. Pakistan is also set to acquire similar capabilities of a Swedish-built AWACS by September this year.

The AWACS is described as “an eye in the sky” because of its capability to carry out surveillance of objects that are about 400-km away under all-weather conditions. It can “lock on” on to 60 targets simultaneously and convey the information to troops on the ground besides conveying it to naval warships and IAF fighters. This is expected to provide situational awareness for tactical and strategic operations. The radar is the most sophisticated built to date. It can collate surface information about troop movements and missile launches even while listening to highly confidential communications between enemy frontline units.

So far, only the US, Russia, Israel, China, UK, France and Australia have the system operational in their air forces, and its induction has propelled the IAF into that major league.

Later, talking to the media, the IAF chief said the requirement of more such planes after the first lot of three would be assessed and then only an exact number could be ordered.