Big- IAF confirms it has CEC engagement capability incl. Tejas

[Tejas Spokesman]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1829952592434315532

https://twitter.com/x/status/1830078936853749966

 

[harpy1]

This technology is vital for future unmanned systems like loyal wingmen drones

Ie Amca with several drones that go on ahead with their own missiles to engage targets but controlled by mother for fighters to a certain point in operation.. Thus not risking Amca or Tejas fighters themselves

Frenxh are doing the same work on Rafale F5

 

[Parmanu]

the Netra AWACS to guide it will be a great leap.

 

[DDG-80]

India’s NetCor1 and NetCor2 systems are complemented by the IAF’s robust AFNet and IACCS which together form the backbone of India’s advanced network-centric warfare capabilities. AFNet is a secure digital information grid that interconnects IAF assets across the country, enabling seamless communication and data sharing in real-time. This secure, high-speed network serves as the foundation for linking various sensors, aircraft, ground stations, and command centers, ensuring that critical information flows uninterrupted even in contested environments. IACCS, on the other hand, acts as the nerve center of the IAF’s air defense operations, integrating radar data, sensor inputs, and communication links from multiple platforms into a unified picture. This system allows for rapid decision-making, real-time threat evaluation, and dynamic tasking of assets, enhancing the IAF’s ability to respond swiftly to evolving threats. In high-intensity conflict scenarios, such as potential engagements in the high-altitude regions of the LAC, IACCS plays a crucial role in coordinating defensive and offensive operations, ensuring that the IAF can maintain air superiority. The synergy between NetCor1, NetCor2, AFNet, and IACCS significantly enhances the survivability of IAF’s high-value assets in a war of attrition. By creating a resilient and interconnected combat network, the IAF can distribute operational responsibilities, reduce the workload on airborne crews, and maintain a comprehensive situational awareness across all domains. For example, AWACS and other surveillance platforms can pass on live radar data directly to ground-based crews via AFNet, allowing them to function as virtual crew members. This reduces the exposure of critical assets to enemy threats while maintaining operational effectiveness. Furthermore, in the electromagnetic spectrum, AFNet’s encrypted and secure communication channels safeguard data integrity against jamming and EW threats, ensuring that information flow remains uninterrupted. During BVR engagements, this network-centric setup allows aircraft to share target data seamlessly, enabling complex maneuvers such as one fighter launching a missile based on another’s radar feed—executing cooperative engagements that are vital for maintaining an edge against technologically advanced adversaries like the PLAAF. Overall, the integration of NetCor1, NetCor2, AFNet, and IACCS ensures that the IAF remains a formidable force, capable of executing coordinated, precise, and adaptive operations even in the most challenging environments. This advanced network-centric capability not only amplifies the IAF’s combat effectiveness but also safeguards its assets, ensuring operational superiority in modern, high-stakes warfare.

 

[Pingle]

India’s NetCor1 and NetCor2 systems are complemented by the IAF’s robust AFNet and IACCS which together form the backbone of India’s advanced network-centric warfare capabilities. AFNet is a secure digital information grid that interconnects IAF assets across the country, enabling seamless communication and data sharing in real-time. This secure, high-speed network serves as the foundation for linking various sensors, aircraft, ground stations, and command centers, ensuring that critical information flows uninterrupted even in contested environments. IACCS, on the other hand, acts as the nerve center of the IAF’s air defense operations, integrating radar data, sensor inputs, and communication links from multiple platforms into a unified picture. This system allows for rapid decision-making, real-time threat evaluation, and dynamic tasking of assets, enhancing the IAF’s ability to respond swiftly to evolving threats. In high-intensity conflict scenarios, such as potential engagements in the high-altitude regions of the LAC, IACCS plays a crucial role in coordinating defensive and offensive operations, ensuring that the IAF can maintain air superiority. The synergy between NetCor1, NetCor2, AFNet, and IACCS significantly enhances the survivability of IAF’s high-value assets in a war of attrition. By creating a resilient and interconnected combat network, the IAF can distribute operational responsibilities, reduce the workload on airborne crews, and maintain a comprehensive situational awareness across all domains. For example, AWACS and other surveillance platforms can pass on live radar data directly to ground-based crews via AFNet, allowing them to function as virtual crew members. This reduces the exposure of critical assets to enemy threats while maintaining operational effectiveness. Furthermore, in the electromagnetic spectrum, AFNet’s encrypted and secure communication channels safeguard data integrity against jamming and EW threats, ensuring that information flow remains uninterrupted. During BVR engagements, this network-centric setup allows aircraft to share target data seamlessly, enabling complex maneuvers such as one fighter launching a missile based on another’s radar feed—executing cooperative engagements that are vital for maintaining an edge against technologically advanced adversaries like the PLAAF. Overall, the integration of NetCor1, NetCor2, AFNet, and IACCS ensures that the IAF remains a formidable force, capable of executing coordinated, precise, and adaptive operations even in the most challenging environments. This advanced network-centric capability not only amplifies the IAF’s combat effectiveness but also safeguards its assets, ensuring operational superiority in modern, high-stakes warfare.

Last year I had heard that even our warships have CEC capability.... means we are silently working on total network centric warfare....

 

[Truth Seeker]

But like all things such warfare have its downsides if enemy forces can jam the core network center. Can anyone with more know how explain how easy or hard it is to do so. And does Pakistan possess such ability?

 

[LeGenD]

This is not CEC but something like MADL.

CEC is sensor netting on a massive scale between a large number of military assets including aircraft and ships and only the US have this capability. This is a very costly network system that provides an effective counter to jamming efforts and a common battlefied picture to engage a large number of targets.

 

[Circadian Rhythm]

In case Somebody is wondering what is driving India's Technological Advancements please read this ,

Technology​

India among top 5 countries in critical tech, 3rd in AI globally: ASPI​

India among top 5 countries in critical tech, 3rd in AI globally: ASPI

India lacks ‘standout institutional performers’, limiting its ability to attract foreign talent and motivate scientists to stay at Indian institutions

www.google.com

 

[Raj-Hindustani]

This is not CEC but something like MADL.

CEC is sensor netting on a massive scale between a large number of military assets including aircraft and ships and only the US have this capability. This is a very costly network system that provides an effective counter to jamming efforts and a common battlefied picture to engage a large number of targets.

Anyway good development for future aircrafts in India

 

[UKBengali]

This is not CEC but something like MADL.

CEC is sensor netting on a massive scale between a large number of military assets including aircraft and ships and only the US have this capability. This is a very costly network system that provides an effective counter to jamming efforts and a common battlefied picture to engage a large number of targets.

There is not much difference between this and networking a whole range of assets.

The principle is the same as the sensor platform feeds the launch platform with co-ordinate of the target.

It just requires this to be scaled up.

 

[Parmanu]

There is not much difference between this and networking a whole range of assets.

The principle is the same as the sensor platform feeds the launch platform with co-ordinate of the target.

It just requires this to be scaled up.

yes. true. our Netras have been very useful to the IAF.

 

[DDG-80]

This is not CEC but something like MADL.

CEC is sensor netting on a massive scale between a large number of military assets including aircraft and ships and only the US have this capability. This is a very costly network system that provides an effective counter to jamming efforts and a common battlefied picture to engage a large number of targets.

Your understanding of CEC is correct in that it represents a large-scale sensor network linking a wide array of military assets to create a unified battlefield picture, primarily pioneered by the U.S. However, to say that only the U.S. has these capabilities and that India’s systems are just like MADL is an oversimplification.
India’s NetCor1 and NetCor2, alongside AFNet and IACCS, are indeed advanced forms of network-centric warfare that provide real-time data sharing, secure communication, and coordinated targeting between aircraft, ships, and ground stations. While not identical to the U.S.’s CEC in terms of scale, India’s systems enable a similar concept of operations—facilitating cooperative engagement, ensuring survivability against jamming, and enhancing situational awareness across a broad operational spectrum.

 

[Circadian Rhythm]

Your understanding of CEC is correct in that it represents a large-scale sensor network linking a wide array of military assets to create a unified battlefield picture, primarily pioneered by the U.S. However, to say that only the U.S. has these capabilities and that India’s systems are just like MADL is an oversimplification.
India’s NetCor1 and NetCor2, alongside AFNet and IACCS, are indeed advanced forms of network-centric warfare that provide real-time data sharing, secure communication, and coordinated targeting between aircraft, ships, and ground stations. While not identical to the U.S.’s CEC in terms of scale, India’s systems enable a similar concept of operations—facilitating cooperative engagement, ensuring survivability against jamming, and enhancing situational awareness across a broad operational spectrum.

The Best utilisation of This capability will be when we get the 1200 TR modules
GAN AESA for SU 30 in next few years .

https://twitter.com/x/status/1815340248403976628

 

[DDG-80]

And does Pakistan possess such ability?

PAF’s TDLs, such as Link-17 and Chinese TDLs, offer basic network-centric capabilities like sharing radar tracks, targeting data, and basic communication between platforms. However, they are generally platform-specific with limited cross-platform interoperability, especially between Western (F-16s) and Chinese (JF-17s) systems, creating silos of data that reduce overall efficiency in joint operations. The data fusion capabilities of PAF TDLs are limited by less advanced processing systems and reliance on single-point sources like AWACS or fighter radars. The data sharing is often sequential, leading to delays in situational updates and engagement decisions.

 

[LeGenD]

There is not much difference between this and networking a whole range of assets.

The principle is the same as the sensor platform feeds the launch platform with co-ordinate of the target.

It just requires this to be scaled up.

Sensor netting between a whole range of assets is not a small thing as it require implementation of common sensor components in a whole range of assets to work. For perspective, F-35 can produce a common battlefield picture among them using MADL but they can provide target information to other aircraft using Link 16 to expand target engagement envelope - two different communication systems are involved to create a network ecosystem between a whole range of aircraft. Reason is that other aircraft are not necessarily equipped with the same sensor package as all of them are not built for same role.

The US Navy equipped all of its assets with common sensor components to create CEC:

"CEC is a system of hardware and software that allows the sharing of radar and Identification, Friend or Foe sensor data on air targets amongst CEC equipped units. CEC's two major system functions consist of a Cooperative Engagement Processor (CEP) for sensor networking and a Data Distribution System (DDS) for real-time communications amongst cooperating units (CU). Sensor data from individual units are transmitted to other units in the network via the real time high quality, anti-jam capable line of sight, DDS. Each CEC equipped unit uses identical sensor data processing algorithms resident in its CEP, resulting in each unit having the same display of air tracks. CEC gives an individual ship the added capability to launch anti-air weapons at threat aircraft or missiles within its engagement envelope based on remote sensor data provided by the CEC sensor network. The CEC system makes it possible for multiple surface ships, aircraft and USMC land units to form an air defense network by sharing radar target measurements in real-time.

The CEC system interfaces with the platform's sensors and combat systems. CEC's Common Equipment Set (CES) provides hardware components among the different CEC equipped platforms. The basic CEC equipment set consists of an antenna subsystem, a signal data processor, a backup battery and technician control interfaces. The AN/USG-2 CEC system variant is designed for Navy surface ships, the AN/USG-3 CEC system variant is designed for Navy E-2 aircraft, and the AN/USG-4 CEC system variant is designed for the USMC CTN." - source



CEC is the pinacle of sensor netting that allows a military force to perform a variety of tasks in the battlefield using common battlefield picture.

India is developing an advanced network for its navy but I am not sure what to call it in the present. Let's see.