India’s Udaipur-Based ELM-2090 Radar Tracks Pakistan’s Missile Test from Harnai, Balochistan, in Real Time

In a major display of surveillance and missile-tracking capability, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) successfully detected and tracked a Pakistani Strategic Plans Division (SPD) missile test conducted at dawn on Tuesday. The missile, launched from a site near Harnai in Balochistan, was observed throughout its entire flight path by India’s ELM-2090 Strategic Early Warning dual-band radar system, based near Udaipur, Rajasthan.

According to initial assessments, while the radar maintained continuous lock on the missile from launch to termination, the test did not achieve its intended result. Sources indicate that Pakistan’s technical teams are currently investigating the cause of the failure, which reportedly involved a guidance or propulsion anomaly during mid-course flight. The launch, executed during the Fajr (dawn) window, was believed to be part of Pakistan’s ongoing missile validation exercises under the SPD’s supervision.

India’s Strategic Sentinel: The ELM-2090 TERRA Radar

The radar that tracked the test is none other than the ELM-2090 TERRA, one of the most advanced dual-band strategic early-warning radar systems in operation globally. Developed by Israel Aerospace Industries’ ELTA Systems, the TERRA system combines UHF- and S-band arrays — designated respectively as ULTRA and SPECTRA — to provide highly accurate, long-range detection of ballistic and aerodynamic threats.

India operates this radar jointly through the IAF and NTRO, with the Udaipur-based installation serving as a vital node in India’s western early-warning network. The system boasts an effective detection range of around 2,500 kilometers and reportedly employs 10,000 Transmit/Receive Modules (TRMs), giving it extraordinary tracking precision and target discrimination capability even against low-RCS objects.

The dual-band configuration enables the radar to track high-altitude ballistic targets while simultaneously monitoring smaller or stealthier threats. This makes it particularly effective against ballistic missile launches, hypersonic glide vehicles, and advanced air-breathing systems.

Udaipur Radar Site: India’s Western Watchtower

Situated in the Aravalli hills near Udaipur, this radar installation is one of India’s most critical early-warning assets. Construction of the site began in the early 2020s as part of India’s classified Phase-II Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) expansion plan, aimed at creating a seamless national missile warning and tracking grid.

The massive radar domes of the Udaipur site are visible from several kilometers away and are paired with another similar installation near Bhopal, ensuring overlapping coverage across the western and central sectors. Together, these sites feed real-time data into India’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) and the Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) command chain, forming the backbone of India’s early-warning architecture.

How the Harnai Missile Test Unfolded

According to defense monitoring sources, the Pakistani SPD conducted a surface-to-surface missile test from a range near Harnai, Balochistan, just before sunrise. The test involved a ballistic vehicle believed to be of medium-range classification.

Within seconds of launch ignition, the Udaipur-based ELM-2090 radar detected the heat plume and trajectory signature, initiating continuous tracking. The system followed the missile through its boost phase, mid-course climb, and terminal descent, maintaining radar contact throughout.

The radar reportedly provided launch-point coordinates, trajectory plotting, and predicted impact location data to India’s western-sector command centers in near real time. Indian analysts confirmed that the radar maintained a stable lock even as the missile deviated from its intended course, highlighting the robustness of the system’s beam agility and tracking algorithms.

Unsuccessful Pakistani Test Raises Technical Questions

Despite the successful detection from India’s side, reports emerging from across the border suggest that Pakistan’s test was unsuccessful. The missile reportedly failed to complete its intended flight profile due to a mid-course instability, possibly linked to propulsion cutoff or guidance system malfunction.

Defense analysts believe this test may have involved an upgraded variant of a Shaheen or Ghauri-class ballistic missile, though official confirmation remains absent. The failure comes at a time when Pakistan’s SPD has been pushing for modernization of its missile inventory, particularly with new guidance packages and mobile launch systems.

The failure, however, inadvertently allowed India’s radar systems to collect valuable telemetry, trajectory, and signature data — offering insights into Pakistan’s missile behavior and testing protocols.

India’s Expanding Early-Warning Network

For India, this event underscores the growing maturity of its missile detection ecosystem. The ELM-2090 radars form the first tier of India’s multi-layered surveillance grid, soon to be complemented by indigenous long-range AESA radars and space-based infrared sensors under development with ISRO.

Data from these systems are integrated within IACCS nodes, providing instantaneous threat evaluation and coordination with interceptor batteries like the AD-1/AD-2 and Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) systems.

The Udaipur radar’s demonstrated ability to track a cross-border ballistic launch from Balochistan in real time validates the strength of India’s early-warning posture — effectively granting the country several minutes of decision advantage in any potential hostile scenario.

Strategic Implications

The Udaipur radar’s tracking success serves as a message of both deterrence and capability. It reinforces India’s technological edge in long-range situational awareness and highlights its preparedness to counter regional missile threats.

For Pakistan, the test’s failure near Harnai may spark internal reviews of its missile development and testing practices, especially as its systems face scrutiny from increasingly capable Indian detection networks.

This episode also comes at a time of heightened regional competition, with both India and Pakistan advancing strategic delivery platforms and missile defenses. India’s ability to monitor and record such launches in real time provides a powerful intelligence advantage, shaping future policy and deterrence dynamics.

The dawn missile launch from Harnai, Balochistan, may have ended in technical failure for Pakistan, but it marked a quiet triumph for India’s strategic surveillance apparatus. The IAF–NTRO-operated ELM-2090 TERRA radar near Udaipur successfully tracked the missile’s entire flight — from ignition to termination — demonstrating the radar’s exceptional reach and reliability.

As India continues to expand its radar and space-based early-warning infrastructure, the Udaipur site stands as a symbol of a maturing strategic defense ecosystem — one that not only watches the skies but safeguards the nation’s future against any airborne threat.