New Delhi: India has been steadily advancing its defence electronics capabilities to reduce dependence on foreign systems. The DRDO, the R&D arm of the Ministry of Defence, has made defence self-reliance a strategic thrust.
In this context, the DRDO has announced the flight testing of the new airborne electronic-warfare (EW) suite named Swayam Raksha Kavach (SRK), developed for integration with the Tejas Mk1A light combat aircraft.
Read Also: Rafale + Meteor: India to Acquire ‘Flying Lion’ for Rafale Jets, Capable of 200 km Air Strikes
This new development follows the legacy EW suite D-29, which served earlier aircraft like the MiG-29; SRK represents the next generation EW capability, built for modern threats and full aircraft integration.
Key Details of the DRDO SRK EW Suite
The SRK system incorporates an integrated Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) built into the airframe of the aircraft, enabling faster detection of hostile radar emissions.
In addition, an external jammer pod mounted on a hard-point is part of the SRK configuration — enabling active jamming of enemy radars and electronic signals.
Compared with the older D-29 EW suite, SRK is engineered with advanced signal processing, multi-band threat detection, AI-assisted threat classification, and is optimised for the Tejas Mk1A aircraft.
Read Also: iDEX Initiative Powers India’s Defence Start-Up Boom — $344 Million Innovation Push Unveiled
The SRK is planned to be deployed by the end of 2026 for the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Tejas Mk1A fleet, aligning with production ramp-up.
Importance of DRDO SRK EW Suite
Stronger survivability: For the IAF’s Tejas Mk1A fighters, the SRK EW suite will provide enhanced protection against radar threats and electronic attacks, which is critical in modern air-warfare scenarios.
Indigenous production: With more than 90% indigenous content (according to public reporting) in SRK, this is a strategic step towards “Make in India” in defence electronics.
Industry collaboration: The DRDO is collaborating with industry partner Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for production, signifying strengthening ties between R&D and manufacturing.
Future-proofing: As aerial threats evolve (drones, stealth radars, electronic attacks), having a modern EW suite integrated from day-one makes the Tejas Mk1A a more credible combat platform.
Road-map of DRDO SRK EW Suite and Next Steps
- The DRDO expects to complete the SRK flight evaluations by mid-2026, ahead of the Tejas Mk1A’s production ramp-up.
- Following successful trials and certification, the SRK suite will be inducted on the Tejas Mk1A fighter fleet and eventually on other platforms depending on the design modularity.
- The upgraded D-29 EW suite is also being transferred to BEL for industrial scale production to serve the MiG-29 fleet in the interim.
- With defence electronics forming the backbone of future warfare (radars, EW, directed-energy systems), SRK is a key component of this ecosystem for India.
