Pak eyes Brazilian AWACS to outdo India

Pak eyes Brazilian AWACS to outdo India
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

New Delhi, Nov 20: In an apparent bid to outdo India in the race for the airborne early warning aircraft (AWACS), Pakistan is reportedly in the final stages of negotiations with Brazil for the purchase of six EMB-145 remote sensing aircraft to give it a cutting edge in air and naval surveillance in the sub-continent.

The Brazilian Erieye AWACS system is capable of 360 degree detection and tracking of air and sea targets over the horizon. It can detect fighter aircraft size targets at 370 kms, while warships can be detected at a longer range.

A team of Brazilian manufacturers Embraer have visited Pakistan twice for the supply of six EMB-145s, four for the Pakistan Air Force and two for the Navy, The Nation

reported quoting top Pakistani Defence officials.

"Islamabad initiated its search for a suitable airborne early warning aircraft shortly after General Pervez Musharraf assumed power last year following reports that India was on the verge of acquiring two Russian Beriev A-50 mainstay AWACS on trial," the paper said.

The Brazilians told the Pakistani officials that they were prepared to supply the aircraft if Pakistan was able to make a down payment of ten per cent on the reported four bilion US dollar deal with the balance to be raised by Brazilian consortium of international commercial banks.

The paper claimed that the Indian Air Force had used the Beriev A-50 extensively to fly reconnaissance mission along the Indo-Pak border since April.

Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal, A Y Tipnis, had recently told newsmen that the IAF had after extensive trials found the Russian AWACS not suitable for Indian requirements.

Pakistani officials, quoted by The Nation

, said the Indians were continuing to fly the Russian A-50 even as they made abortive attempt to obtain a Boeing 707 based Phalcon EU2075 D-Band paired phase arrayed antenna conversion system from Israeli Elta aviation company.

Pakistani experts had given the green signal for the Erieye Brazilian AWACS claiming that they compared favourably with IAF Russian acquired A-50s which had a search radius of just 230 kms and 400 kms for ships.

"The Pakistani defence top brass" has accorded topmost priority to the EMB-145 system saying the Brazilian AWACS compared favourably even with Israeli Phalcons, with the two AWACS system having the same range of 370 kms airborne detection.

Pakistani experts also said that Brazilian EMB-145 system also had the capability of detecting small cruise missile like targets from a 200 kms range in ideal conditions.

Pakistani media reports said the deal had run into rough weather as the cash-starved government in Islamabad had been unable to raise even US $400 down payment and the US State Department was not allowing American banks to underwrite the deal.

The reports said that cautionary note was attached to the supply of the aircraft themselves as they are powered by US manufactured engines.

The newspaper said Pakistan Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee had evinced keen interest in acquisition of the AWACS way back in 1991, their first choice being the Swedish Ericcson system installed on six C-130 transport aircraft already in service with Pakistan Air Force.

But the fears in Islamabad were that the Swedish Government could also block the export of Ericcson system under its policy of not granting export licences for armaments being supplied to nations involved in regional disputes.

Pakistani defence sources maintain that the country's ruling Junta was determined to acquire the Brazilian aircraft saying it "remained on top of its procurement policy".

Brazil has recently deployed eight of EMB-145 under its programme to survey the entire Amazon basin.