HAL opens software radio system in Hyderabad

The state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) Thursday opened the software defined radio system at its strategic electronic research design centre in Hyderabad.

The indigenously developed system (Softnet) will be deployed for airborne communication and net centric warfare.

"As the future of communication technologies, the radio system will shape the net centric warfare in future and its indigenous development will reduce dependency on overseas suppliers to meet critical needs of the country," HAL chairman R.K. Tyagi said on the occasion.

Minister of State for Defence Jitendra Singh, who inaugurated the facility, was given a demonstration of the communication between the radio systems.

Based on open architecture with configurable software waveforms in L band and V/UHF band, the radio system was developed with legacy waveforms and is being integrated on airborne platforms.

The company's design centre develops avionics for fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft such as MiG-21, MiG-27, MiG-27, Jaguar, Sukhoi-MKI 30, Tejas (light combat aircraft), Dornier, Cheetah, Chetak and Dhruv (advanced light helicopter) operated by the Indian armed forces.

The avionics are radio communication systems, navigation systems, identification systems, radar systems and computers.