India installs new radar systems

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 March 2008, 18:29 GMT]
The Indian Air force has installed sophisticated radar systems for aerial surveillance at the Sundaramudayan seashore in Ramanathapuram according to reports available from Sri Lankan defence reports and the Indian media. A Sri Lankan defence report cited Y. R. Rane, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Air Command (India), as saying that "the new radar has eight antennae which could cover the entire Gulf of Mannar region. It had the capability to track objects such as ships, barges, trawlers, small boats and others in the Indian territorial waters off Mandapam coast."

Air Vice-Marshal Y R Rane, reportedly held discussions with Indian Air Force and Indian Coast Guard officials over the security arrangements at Gulf of Mannar region, and later addressed the media about the sophisticated radar.

Although it utilized all the modern systems available for air surveillance, Rane maintained that there were plans to improve it further.