Raytheon bags $23 million deal to modernise Indian Air Force

US defence major Raytheon today bagged a $23 million contract to modernise India's military air traffic management systems which will make IAF air bases capable of handling all types of modern transport and combat jets round-the-clock.

The contract has been awarded to Raytheon by Tata Power Strategic Electronic Systems to provide automated air traffic management systems to the Indian Air Force.

The Tata Power Strategic Electronic Systems is the main contractor of the project. The contract is part of the IAF's Modernisation of Airfield Infrastructure (MAFI) project.

MAFI is being undertaken to make all IAF air bases capable of handling all types of modern transport and fighter aircraft at all times.

Raytheon officials said under the first phase of the programme, 30 airbases across the country will be upgraded to make them capable of handling all types of modern transport and combat jets at all times.

Raytheon Network Centric Systems (NCS) will supply a variant of its globally deployed AutoTrac family of air traffic management systems under the project to make the air traffic systems of of the best in the world, Raytheon officials said.

"Raytheon's AutoTrac system will provide the IAF a modern automated systems backbone that will allow for easy and rapid incorporation of new tools and functionality as they become available," said Andy Zogg, vice-president, Raytheon NCS Command and Control Systems.