28 May,2009 09:52 AM IST | | Midday Correspondent
India will today formally induct its first Airborne Warning and Control System (Awacs) plane.
The induction will be done at the Palam Technical Area in New Delhi. The first plane, of the three bought from Israel as part of a deal worth more than US $1 billion, landed at the Jamnagar air base in Gujarat on Monday.
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The delivery is seen as part of India's quest for air dominance over arch rival Pakistan as well as a milestone in growing military ties with Israel.
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The Awacs involves mounting surveillance equipment on the top of Russian Ilyushin-76 aircraft.
The Phalcon Awacs can simultaneously track nearly 250 flying objects within a radius of 800km and also has a 'look-down' capability allowing it to monitor movements on the ground or at sea.
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Israel replaced France in 2007 as India's second-largest arms supplier after Russia and is likely to grab the number one slot through a vast array of defence agreements it has already signed with New Delhi.
It's me now: Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major (left) with air chief designate P V Naik (right) at a press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday.