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A latest news report appearing in Defense Security Asia mentions that India's selection of the Su-57 is now contingent on the integration of Indian-origin avionics and systems, especially, the Uttam/Virupaksha radar featuring the superior Gallium Nitride technology.
The GaN technology is almost becoming a global standard and is way superior to the Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) based Byelka radar currently available on the Su-57E Felon, in terms, of relative range of detection, target tracking, power density, degree of situational awareness, precision, mission reliability, thermal management and electronic warfare, especially anti-jamming capabilities. However, it has almost stirred a hornet's nest in Russia regarding the technical inferiority of the Russian flagship, 5th generation stealth fighter, which, nonetheless is a stark reality in today's world indeed.
Further, it could almost have been a repeat of the 1990s saga, wherein, India had procured around 260 Su-30MKIs from Russia. The Flankers, despite of being superb dogfighters with thrust vectoring engines, had/have a stark and underlying shortcoming, their PESA radar, rather than an AESA radar, which is way superior, in terms of capabilities, which ultimately has forced India to upgrade them with the indigenous Virupaksha radar developed by the DRDO now, which is way better even than the RBE2-AA with twice the number of onboard TRMs, after almost 2+ decades after their original entry into service with the IAF.
Thus, with the Su-57E Felon, India is simply ensuring that the same faux pas and tactical error is not repeated; which is absolutely the right thing to do, non-negotiable and almost a must; especially with India's growing economic heft, Russia's desperation for an international export customer for Su-57 and amid the prevailing chaos in the geopolitical environment with Trump's latest foreign policy pivot against India effectively meaning that one of the horses in the two-horse derby (the F-35) is virtually disqualified, out of the race and at the dead-end effectively...
Further, with the integration of domestic-origin systems, India could somehow:
1. Ensure its reduced dependence on foreign suppliers.
2. Ensure only the state of the art technology is inserted for longevity and a longer service lifespan with minimal & costly retrofits.
3. Give a boost to Make in India as a policy imperative.
4. Keep the overall costs of production down.
5. Ease of maintenance & upkeep, like with the Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) on the Virupaksha radar.
Hope India makes all the right moves in dealing with Putin & Co. this time around after having fumbled on multiple occasions earlier...Jai Hind!
Wishes & Regards,
Rajat 'Maverick' Narang
Research | Author | Historian
P.S.: 'Maverick' is the Author's Nom de Plume (Pen Name).
