Astra Microwave Products Limited has secured a ₹2,205.23 crore contract from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to manufacture Active Array Antenna Units (AAAU) for the Uttam radar programme, a major milestone in India’s indigenous air defence radar capability.
The Uttam is a phased array radar system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for integration aboard the HAL Tejas light combat aircraft and other airborne platforms. The AAAU is the critical antenna subsystem that enables the radar’s electronic scanning and multi-target tracking capabilities.
Astra Microwave, a Bangalore-based private defence electronics manufacturer, specialises in RF and microwave subsystems for aerospace and defence applications. The contract represents a significant order for high-complexity antenna fabrication, reflecting India’s push toward private sector participation in advanced defence manufacturing under the Make in India initiative.
The Uttam radar represents DRDO’s effort to reduce India’s dependence on imported fire control and search radars. Earlier variants of airborne radar systems on Indian military aircraft relied heavily on foreign suppliers. Uttam’s indigenous development has enabled integration with domestic fighter platforms and reduces long-term operational costs tied to foreign spare parts and technology dependencies.
The radar system is designed to detect and track aircraft and air-breathing threats at extended ranges while simultaneously engaging multiple targets. Its phased array architecture provides superior beam agility compared to mechanically scanned antenna systems, enabling rapid threat assessment and target handoff to weapons systems.
HAL has been the integrating authority for Uttam’s deployment across the Tejas fleet, with the radar undergoing extensive flight trials and operational validation. The AAAU manufacturing contract underscores the transition from prototype development to production-scale deployment across India’s combat aircraft inventory.
This contract also reflects HAL’s strategy of engaging qualified private sector vendors for subsystem manufacturing while retaining responsibility for final integration and quality assurance. Such a tiered approach accelerates production throughput and distributes manufacturing load across India’s growing aerospace supply base.