New Delhi: The Indian Air Force on Tuesday carried out pre-dawn air strikes on Jaish-E-Mohammad terror camps across the Line Control, well within the Pakistani territory using 12 Mirage 2000 fighter jets. The aerial strikes, the first of its kind, were executed 12 days after Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group carried out the dastardly Pulwama attack in Kashmir, government sources said. They said the IAF jets pounded terror camps Balakot, Muzaffarabad and Chakoti in the well-planned strike involving a fleet of IAF jets and other military jets. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was briefed by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the operation.

IAF Mirage jets carried out precision strikes on JeM camps inside Pakistan

Around 1000 kg of explosives were dropped that destroyed the Jaish-e-Mohammad camps in Balakot, Chakoti, Mujhafarabaad. Before the Mirage jets flew across the LoC and carried out precision bombing on JeM camps, the Embraer AWACs were activated to help the IAF carry out the requisite surveillance on enemy Air Defence systems and locate the target locations. The system also helped the Air Force to track any Pakistani fighter jets which could have been deployed to fend off the IAF Mirage planes.

What is DRDO Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) System

• Airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system is a multisensor developed by DRDO on a carrier jet which provides an airborne surveillance system in collaboration with CAB (Centre for Airborne Systems) for the Indian Air Force.

• It is the first native AEW system developed by DRDO and CAB.

• It was completely developed and built using the native technology platform, EMB-145.

Mission system control (MSC)

• Mission system control (MSC) is the brain of the AEW&C system, as it incorporates all the data from sensors and other systems to control the whole system.
• It assesses threats using data received from the on-board sensors and other sources, and presents the Air Situation Picture (ASP).

How it helps in carrying out the attack

• The system mainly comprises of a primary radar and secondary surveillance radar (SSR/IFF).

• The SSR provides Electronic Support Measures (ESM) and Communication Support Measures (CSM).

• It identifies and classifies the threats based on the emissions from them, and also serves as a Friend or Foe identification system.

• The Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) which is integrated into the ESM system, Missile Approach Warning System (MAWS) and Counter Measures Dispensing system (CMDS) forms a Self Protection Suite (SPS).

• The Data Handling and Display System (DHDS) will present the Air Situation Picture on Operator Work Station (OWS) and will provide communication facilities to interact with the system.