India and Russia to sign $4 billion military deal

India and Russia are set to sign a $4 billion military deal in which India will buy Russia's advanced Voronezh series airborne early warning radar, India Today reports.

The radar is said to be capable of detecting and tracking a range of threats, including ballistic missiles and aircraft at ranges of up to 8,000 kilometers. The new system will provide India with critical early warning of potential threats, expanding its surveillance capabilities far beyond the country's borders.

Representatives of the Indian Defense Ministry and the Russian delegation led by Almaz-Antey Air and Space Defense Concern conduct negotiations on the subject.

The deal runs in line with the Make in India initiative, with more than a half of radar components being manufactured in India domestically.

The radar system is believed to be installed in Chitradurga, Karnataka, a strategic location that already houses advanced defense and aerospace facilities.

Details

Voronezh radars are the current generation of Russian early-warning radar, providing long distance monitoring of airspace against ballistic missile attack and aircraft monitoring. The first radar, in Lekhtusi near St Petersburg, became operational in 2009. There is a plan to replace older radars with the Voronezh by 2020. Their common name follows the pattern of Soviet radars in being named after a river, the Voronezh. The previous generation of radar was known as the Daryal (after Darial Gorge), Volga (after Volga River) and Daugava (Daugava River) and the generation before the Dnepr (Dnieper River), and Dnestr (Dniester River). The Voronezh radars are described as highly prefabricated meaning that they have a set up time of months rather than years and need fewer personnel than previous generations. They are also modular so that a radar can be brought into (partial) operation whilst being incomplete.