Certification-related testing of the DRDO/DEAL-developed High Frequency (HF), Very High Frequency (VHF) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) software-defined radio (SDR-NC), covering a waveband of 3 megaHertz to three gigaHertz, has been completed, thereby paving the way for Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) to commence series-production of the SDR-NC units for all now Indian Navy principal surface combatants and submarines.
The SDR-NC accommodates 10 waveforms for carrying voice and data traffic with proprietary encryption and frequency-hopping communications security. In terms of data rates, rates of 9.6 kiloBits-per-second (kBps) are achievable when using the HF radio, although this increases to 200kBps when using the VHF radio. The SDR-NC comprises a single HF radio and two VHF transceivers. Given the size of the programme, BEL expects deliveries of the SDR-NCs to continue until around 2025. In the airborne domain, BEL is moving towards the third phase of testing of the airborne version of the SDR-NC.
The V/UHF transceiver has been undergoing testing on an Indian navy-owned and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd-built (HAL) Dornier Do-228-101/201 turboprop. The third test phase is expected to commence by the end of this July, prior to the commencement of additional testing. Tentatively, BEL expects to commence production of the airborne SDR-NCs in 2020.
For the Indian Air Force (IAF), the combat aircraft-type to incorporate SDR will be the Jaguar IS/DARIN-3, which is expected to enter squadron service by this August. The SDR used is the HAL-developed SOFTNET SDR-2010.
The SDR-2010 was originally developed for the Super Su-30MKI project.
For the projected 83 Tejas Mk.1A L-MRCAs, the SDR selected is RAFAEL Advanced Defence Systems-developed BNET-AR.
