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Source: The post is based on the article “Indian Army Inducts Swathi Mk2 Radar For Mountain Surveillance” published in The Republic on 8th August 2023.
What is the News?
Indian Army has inducted the lighter and more compact version of the indigenously developed Weapon Locating Radar(WLR-M) called “Swathi Mountains.”
What is Swathi Mk2 Radar or Swati Mountains?
Swati Mountains is an indigenously developed Weapon Locating Radar(WLR).
It is an advanced electronically scanned phased array radar, specifically designed for operations in mountainous and high-altitude areas.
It was developed by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) in Bengaluru.
What is Weapon Locating Radar(WLR)?
The Weapon Locating Radar(WLR) is a crucial tool for modern armies.
It uses advanced signal processing techniques to autonomously detect and track hostile artillery, mortars, and rocket launchers.
It even tracks friendly fire trajectories, enabling precise calculations for more accurate artillery strikes.
The radar is impressive because it can spot small flying objects in different conditions and predict where they will land.
One of its strengths is that it can quickly move and set up, adapting to different needs.It can also scan different places without needing to move physically.
What are the different variants of Swati Radar?
The Swathi radar comes in two versions:
Swathi Plains version: It is primarily designed to locate hostile guns, mortars, and rockets, and it can also track the fall of shot from friendly weapons for corrective measures on flat terrains like Plains, as the name of the version suggests.
Swathi Mountains version: It is a compact and mobile radar designed for use in mountainous areas.It can detect mortar shells, rockets and other projectiles while ignoring false signals like birds or aircraft.It also predicts the trajectory and impact point of incoming objects, correcting for altitude to improve accuracy.The radar stores data and communicates with higher-level units for better coordination.