Grumman, BEL in deal for making radar components

US defence manufacturer Northrop Grumman has entered into an agreement with defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited and private company Dynamatic Technologies Limited (DTL) to manufacture components of the F-16 fire control radar.
    
Company officials said today that the arrangement with Indian defence manufacturers was part of a broader initiative to engage Indian industry as strategic business partners.
    
"Following an extensive evaluation of the Indian defence electronic manufacturing base, we feel that these two companies are best positioned to offer the depth of capability required to meet our customers' demanding cost, schedule, and quality standards," Northrop Grumman's Global Sensor Solutions Business Unit vice president Katie Gray said from the US.
    
As part of a comprehensive co-production programme, Northrop Grumman engineers will work side-by-side with engineering teams from BEL and DTL to provide training and support to ensure a smooth transition to production.
    
"The engineering team will collaborate on all aspects of the manufacturing process, beginning with a formal Production Readiness Review (PRR), and concluding with First Article Inspection (FAI) and First Article Test (FAT) milestones," officials said.
  
Initial radar component deliveries from the Indian firms will begin by the second quarter of this year.