Big push to defence: Indian Army Inducts Swathi Mk2 radar for mountain surveillance

To fortify the nation's battlefield surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, the Indian Army inducted the lighter and more compact version of the indigenously developed Weapon Locating Radar (WLR-M) called "Swathi Mountains." The induction ceremony took place on August 5, 2023, at Agra, where Lieutenant General JB Chaudhari, the Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (DCOAS) for Capability Development and Sustenance (CD&S), flagged off the radar system.

(Photo Credit: @adgpi)

The Swathi Mountains WLR is an advanced electronically scanned phased array radar, specifically designed for operations in mountainous and high-altitude areas and was developed by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) in Bengaluru.

What is a Weapon Locating Radar?

The Weapon Locating Radar (WLR) stands as a critical asset for modern militaries, employing advanced signal processing techniques to autonomously detect and track hostile artillery, mortars, and rocket launchers. Notably, it even tracks friendly fire trajectories, enabling precise calculations for more accurate artillery strikes. The radar's sophistication lies in its ability to detect and track small projectiles across the battlefield while factoring in environmental conditions for precise launch and impact point estimations.

(Photo Credit: @adgpi)

A hallmark of the WLR is its high mobility and swift deployment capabilities, allowing it to adapt to changing operational requirements efficiently. Its slewable platform further enhances its agility, enabling scanning of different areas without the need for physical repositioning. Ensuring effectiveness in hostile environments, the radar is designed with survivability and resistance to electronic warfare measures in mind. The WLR also acts as a potent friendly force multiplier by providing critical information on enemy weapon systems.

The older version of India's Swathi WLR (Plains) operates on a passive phased array system with side lobe levels, making it capable of handling simultaneous fire from weapons deployed at multiple locations. It can effectively process a high density of returned signals caused by various factors such as weather conditions, ground clutter, and aerial objects, enabling it to provide real-time information for mission success.

Swathi Plains vs. Swathi Mountains

The Swathi radar comes in two versions: the Swathi Plains (WLR) and the Swathi Mountains (WLR-M). The Swathi Plains version is primarily designed to locate hostile guns, mortars, and rockets, and it can also track the fall of shot from friendly weapons for corrective measures on flat terrains like Plains, as the name of the version suggests.

On the other hand, the Swathi Mountains version, the one inducted yesterday, is a more compact and mobile version specifically designed for operations in mountainous and high-altitude terrains.The WLR-M, or Swathi Mountains, is capable of detecting mortar shells and rockets and tracking projectiles. It classifies projectile and non-projectile targets, rejecting unwanted signals like birds, clutter, and aircraft. Moreover, it offers trajectory estimation and launch/impact point extrapolation, automatically correcting for height to enhance accuracy. The radar system is equipped to store and display trajectory data and maintain communication with higher echelons for better coordination.

Swathi's Success

The Ministry of Defence signed contracts on March 30, 2023, for the procurement of an improved Akash Weapon System and 12 Weapon Locating Radars (WLR) Swathi (Plains) for the Indian Army, worth over Rs 9,100 crore.Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated, "A welcome development, which will boost self-reliance and particularly help the MSME sector."

Last year, the IA ordered six additional Swathi WLR-M systems. With the inclusion of the recent orders for the Swathi Plains radar, the IA will soon operate a total of 48 such systems. The initial order of Swathi radars was delivered by BEL in 2007 and was accepted by the IA in 2008. As of today, according to estimates, the IA operates 30 Swathi MK 1 radars, with 12 more on order. Additionally, the induction of MK 2 radars began yesterday.

Also, in March 2020, India exported four Swathi Weapons Locating Radars to Armenia valued at $40 million. Both countries are currently discussing expanding their collaboration for defence equipment sales.