Netra is an Airbome Early Waming and Control (AEWC) aircraft fitted with indigenously developed electronics and hardware. It is useful for surveillance, tracking, identification and classification of airbome and sea surface targets. It is also useful in detecting incoming ballistic missile threats. It played a key role during the Balakot airstrike, carried out by the IAF in February 2019. It provided surveillance and radar coverage to the five Mirage jets that bombed terror launch pads in Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It was designed and developed by scientists of the DRDO, with assistance from the Bengaluru based Centre for Airborne Systems.
China is equipped with better capabilities. As TOI reported earlier, China has over 20 AWACS, including the new KJ-500 ones that can track over 60 aircraft at ranges up to 470km, while Pakistan, on the other hand has four Swedish Saab-2000 AeW&C aircraft and four Chinese-origin ZDK-03 (KJ-200) AWACS.
Keeping this in mind, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), in March 2016 cleared building of two Awacs, which will involve mounting indigenous 360-degree coverage AESA (active electronically scanned array) radars on Airbus A-330 wide-body jets.
Picture Credit : Google