Swathi Weapon Locating Radar | Indian Army | Indian Air Force | Indian Armored Core | Indian Defence Forces
The Weapon Locating Radar (WLR) also known as Swathi is a mobile artillery-locating phased array radar developed by India. This counter-battery radar is designed to detect and track incoming artillery and rocket fire to determine the point of origin for counter-battery fire.
The Indian army projected a requirement for fire-finding radars in the 1980s. As early as 1989, the Indian Army evaluated the American AN/TPQ-36 and AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder radars. However, these radars were not allowed to be sold, and the procurement process was stopped by the Indian Government. In February 1995, a Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued to five companies for procurement of 4 WLRs. Only Hughes (now Raytheon) responded to the RFP. After trials, the radar was found to not meet the General Staff Quality Requirements (GSQRs) of the Indian Army, which were found to be too stringent, and the GSQRs were then relaxed. At the same time, it was decided to consider the development of an indigenous WLR by India's primary defence contractor, DRDO.
In September 1998, an RFP was issued for the urgent purchase of WLRs - AN/TPQ-36/37 from Hughes (USA), Thomson CSF (France) and ISKARA of (Ukraine). However, the American and French radars were withheld when sanctions were imposed after India's Pokhran-II nuclear weapon tests, and negotiations with the Ukrainian manufacturers came to no conclusion. Additionally, DRDO was not authorised to begin development of a WLR. These lacklustre efforts to obtain a WLR system were severely criticised by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence.
Efforts to acquire such a system intensified after the Kargil War in 1999 where the Indian Army was severely disadvantaged by its lack of radar that could detect artillery fire. While the Pakistani forces were equipped with American AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder radars, India only had British Cymbeline mortar detecting radars, which were not suitable. Almost 80% of Indian casualties during the war resulted from enemy artillery fire, making such a radar critical.
To correct this weakness, in 2002, the Ministry of Defence issued an RFP to five manufacturers. With the lifting of sanctions in late 2001, the US Government offered to sell the AN/TPQ-37 radar to India under their Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme for ₹. 680 million each. In July 2002, India placed a US$ 200 million order for 12 AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder radars. Initially, only 8 were ordered for US$140 million, but the order was later increased to 12. The radars were integrated on BEML Limited manufactured Tatra truck platforms. Delivery of all 12 radars was completed in May 2007. Concept design work on the WLR also accelerated in the aftermath of the Kargil War.
A basic prototype of the WLR was first unveiled at Aero India-2003. The WLR was showcased at the Republic Day Parade in 2007. User trials of the WLR began in 2005. The Army also used WLRs to further their "shoot-and-scoot" doctrine using self-propelled guns and artillery to loosen up defence before an offensive onslaught into hostile territory. By mid-2006, the WLR was in advanced user acceptance trials and the radar was stated to be ready for production.
After user trials by the Indian Army in severe electronic clutter and "high-density fire environment", in June 2008, the WLR was accepted by the Indian Army. 28 units are on order and are being manufactured by BEL. A large number of components will be sourced from the private sector, including some commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components from the international market. The WLR will eventually service the Army's requirement for 40-50 systems. Further improved versions of the WLR are being planned and designed, including longer-range versions, as well as more compact variants for better operation and navigation over mountainous terrains. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) officially handed over the WLR Swathi to the Indian Army on 2 March 2017 for service induction. Currently, the radar is using a 'passive' array but efforts are going on to upgrade it with an 'active' array to enhance performance and reliability.
Armenia had conducted trials of similar systems offered by Russia and Poland, but they gave the final nod to the Indian system. The deal is for supplying four SWATHI weapon locating radars manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to Armenia. As per the agreement, India will supply four SWATHI weapon locating radars.
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