India's indigenously developed new Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AWACS) project is very active, and will be ready to mount on an acquired jet airliner within next three years.

"The country is well poised to develop a new AWACS much ahead in comparison with the first initiative. However, no decision has been taken on an acquired jet airliner, on which the new AWACS is to be mounted," the Press Trust of India quoted K Tamilmani, Director of the Center for Airborne Systems (CABS), as saying Saturday in Banglaore.

The first initiative received a blow in 1999, when Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) HS-748 technology demonstrator aircraft crashed killing seven scientists.

However, the Cabinet Committee on Security, Indian Government's apex body on security issues, gave its plan to the project last September, thus giving a fresh lease of life to this one of the most ambitious defense missions, at a cost of Rs 18 billion (418 million US dollars).

Indian Air Force and the DRDO are also assisting the development of the system. Upon completion, the system will serve as an eye in the sky to provide advanced warning about hostile activity across the border.

Tamilmani said that, with some countries willing to help, the project would see faster development.

Source: Xinhua