DRDO Signs Key Industry Contracts for India’s AEW&C Mk-II Aircraft Programme

The Defence Research and Development Organisation has signed two major industry contracts to advance the development and production of India’s Airborne Early Warning and Control Mk-II programme, strengthening the country’s indigenous airborne surveillance and command capabilities.

DRDO’s Centre for Air Borne Systems signed the first contract with AI Engineering Services Limited, New Delhi, for converting six Airbus A321 aircraft from their commercial configuration into platforms suitable for further modification under the AEW&C Mk-II programme. A second contract was signed with Adani Defence Systems and Technologies Limited, Ahmedabad, which will serve as the Development-cum-Production Partner for the aircraft’s mission systems.

The agreements were signed in New Delhi on July 22, 2026, by the Director of CABS, the Chief Executive Officer of AIESL and the Head of Airborne Platform at ADSTL. Defence Secretary and Secretary, Department of Defence Research and Development, Rajesh Kumar Singh, attended the signing ceremony.

Under the programme, CABS will work with Adani Defence to integrate the mission systems into the modified A321 platforms supplied by original equipment manufacturer Airbus Defence and Space. The two organisations will subsequently conduct flight trials with the Indian Air Force and pursue certification from the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification and the Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance.

The AEW&C Mk-II will transform the six A321 aircraft into advanced airborne surveillance and battle-management platforms. The system is expected to offer greater endurance, secure communications, expanded situational awareness and enhanced command-and-control capabilities. Operating at altitude will allow the aircraft to observe extensive areas and provide early warning of potential aerial threats across longer ranges.

Such aircraft serve as airborne command centres by collecting surveillance information and supporting the coordinated employment of fighters, air-defence systems and other military assets. The longer-endurance A321 platform will provide the space, power and payload capacity required for a larger indigenous mission suite.

The programme also reflects DRDO’s strategy of involving Indian private and public-sector companies from the development stage through production, integration and testing. AIESL will contribute aircraft-conversion expertise, while Adani Defence will participate in mission-system development, integration and eventual production.

The two contracts move the AEW&C Mk-II programme into a crucial industrial phase and establish the partnerships required to convert the aircraft, integrate complex surveillance systems and conduct flight certification. Once operational, the fleet is expected to significantly improve the Indian Air Force’s ability to detect, track and respond to threats across extended distances while strengthening India’s domestic defence-technology and manufacturing ecosystem

Reference:

Press Information Bureau
Ministry of Defence

“DRDO inks two major contracts with Industry partners as part of
AEW&C MK-II programme”

Published: 22 July 2026, 8:19 PM
Release ID: 2287971

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?PRID=2287971&lang=1