Where India’s Aircraft Radar Technology Stand Internationally

India’s development of both plank-based (Uttam family) and tile-based (Virupaksha/AMCA family) radars reflects a gradual but steady trajectory toward parity with leading radar powers. To understand this better, it helps to benchmark LRDE’s systems against some well-known AESAs in service globally.

U.S. AESA Radars

• AN/APG-83 SABR (F-16V upgrade)

  • TRMs: ~1000–1200

  • Architecture: Plank

  • Material: GaAs, moving toward GaN in future

  • Role: Mid-tier AESA for legacy fighters

  • Comparison: Uttam (912–968 TRMs) is roughly in the same category as APG-83, with similar TRM count and architecture. If GaN modules are confirmed for Tejas Mk2, Uttam would be slightly more advanced in materials than baseline APG-83.

• AN/APG-77 (F-22) / AN/APG-81 (F-35)

  • TRMs: ~2000+ (APG-81 estimated)

  • Architecture: Tile, optimized for stealth shaping

  • Material: GaAs (early), shifting to GaN in upgrades

  • Role: High-bandwidth radar, optimized for stealth and EW integration

  • Comparison: India’s AMCA radar (1528 GaN TRMs) is somewhat below APG-81 in TRM count but aligned in architecture and materials. The use of GaN from the outset could give it efficiency advantages, though waveform software maturity is where U.S. radars are still ahead.

Russian AESA Radars

• N036 Byelka (Su-57)

  • TRMs: ~1500+ in nose array, additional side arrays

  • Architecture: Tile

  • Material: GaAs (reports of GaN transition are unconfirmed)

  • Role: Multiband coverage, with L-band wing arrays for stealth detection

  • Comparison: India’s AMCA radar (1528 GaN TRMs) is similar in scale to the Su-57’s main nose radar. However, Russia’s unique addition is the use of side-facing L-band arrays. India may consider similar conformal sensors in later AMCA blocks, but hasn’t revealed such plans yet.

• N035 Irbis-E (Su-30SM / Su-35)

  • TRMs: Not AESA, it’s a PESA (Passive ESA) with high power output

  • Range: >350 km against fighter-sized targets (claimed)

  • Comparison: Su-30MKI currently uses the Bars radar, also a PESA. The transition to Virupaksha AESA (2400 TRMs, GaN) would leapfrog Irbis-E in terms of ECCM, multirole capability, and low-probability-of-intercept performance, even if raw detection range might remain similar.

Chinese AESA Radars

• KLJ-7A (JF-17 Block III)

  • TRMs: ~1000+

  • Architecture: Tile (modular)

  • Material: Likely GaAs, GaN claims unverified

  • Role: Lightweight fighter AESA

  • Comparison: Uttam (912–968 TRMs) is in the same category as KLJ-7A. If Uttam Mk2 uses GaN, it could exceed KLJ-7A in efficiency.

• Type 1475 (J-20)

  • TRMs: ~2000+ (estimated)

  • Architecture: Tile, designed for stealth shaping

  • Material: Likely GaAs baseline, GaN transition rumored

  • Role: Stealth fighter AESA with EW and networking features

  • Comparison: India’s AMCA radar (1528 GaN TRMs) is somewhat smaller, but GaN gives it a potential advantage in power efficiency. China likely leads in software-defined radar features and production maturity.

Indian AESA Radars

• Uttam (Tejas Mk1A / Mk2)

  • TRMs: 912 (Mk1A, GaAs), 912–968 (Mk2, GaAs → GaN transition possible)

  • Architecture: Plank

  • Antennas: Dipole

  • Platforms: LCA Tejas Mk1A, Mk2

  • Role: Lightweight AESA optimized for single-engine fighters.

• Virupaksha (Su-30MKI upgrade)

  • TRMs: ~2400

  • Material: GaN

  • Architecture: Tile

  • Antennas: Likely Vivaldi (wideband)

  • Platforms: Su-30MKI (backbone of IAF)

  • Role: Long-range, high-power AESA to replace Bars PESA, enabling true multi-target and electronic attack capabilities.

• AMCA AESA

  • TRMs: ~1528

  • Material: GaN

  • Architecture: Tile (circular, optimized for stealth nose cone)

  • Antennas: Vivaldi

  • Platforms: AMCA 5th-generation stealth fighter

  • Role: Balanced TRM count and bandwidth, suited for stealth shaping and sensor fusion.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Perspective

• India vs U.S.: LRDE’s plank radars are in the same class as U.S. AESAs for legacy fighters, while its tile-based designs put it within reach of systems like APG-81, though software sophistication remains a gap.

• India vs Russia: The Su-30’s Virupaksha AESA would be a major upgrade, moving well ahead of Russia’s current PESA solutions. Against Su-57’s Byelka, India’s AMCA radar is broadly comparable in scale, but Russia’s multiband approach is unique.

• India vs China: Uttam is competitive with Chinese mid-tier AESAs (KLJ-7A), while the AMCA radar will likely be slightly smaller but more power-efficient than the J-20’s AESA if GaN is fully implemented.

India is not yet at the absolute leading edge of AESA radar development, where the U.S. dominates with decades of operational experience and advanced software ecosystems. But LRDE has moved into a position where its systems are comparable in hardware terms to what Russia and China are fielding.

The plank-to-tile transition mirrors the path other countries have taken, and the use of GaN in Virupaksha and AMCA radars is a strong sign that India is keeping pace with the global shift in radar technology.