New Delhi:
It is a big leap for the Indian Airforce and perhaps a milestone for Indian Defense. The Airborne Warning and Control System, commonly known as the AWACS joined the IAF stable. Neither Pakistan nor China has this type of airborne warning and control system or AWACS.
It can look as much as 400 kms deep into enemy territory and then, direct Indian fighter jets towards their targets using systems like these much before they reach India.
But India wants more and wants them quickly. It is something the normally quiet defence minister bluntly told Russia and Israel.
"I hope with the cooperation of the Russians and Israeli's and handwork of our people we will get the other two on time. If they can provide on time the government can think of procuring more because the security situation is such that need more such platforms," said A K Antony, Defence Minister.
The aircraft is Russian, the radar system Israeli - it meets Indian requirements. Bringing all these together is a complex affair. But it will be some time before this state of the art spy can be fully utilised.
Because most Indian air force planes cannot receive information from the AWACS. They are old and need to be modernized.
"It will take about one year to one and half year to network," said Fali Homi Major, Chief of Air Staff.
This (the AWACS in the background) represents what is good and bad of India's defence and security establishment. Good, because we know what we want and it has finally appeared; bad because there is no guarantee when the other two systems will be delivered, by which time the platform may just be obsolete.