Aero India 2021: Compatibility hit as services buy different kinds of radio

The IAF, which is ahead of the army and navy in buying futuristic SDR equipment, has chosen to equip its aircraft with SDR developed by Israeli firm Rafael Advanced Defence Systems

Despite the appointment of a chief of defence staff (CDS) to coordinate procurement and interoperability between the army, navy and Indian Air Force (IAF), all three services are following different paths while buying their next-generation communication systems, known as “software defined radio” (SDR).
 
As a result, there will be a loss of communications efficiency when, say, an army signaller communicates with an air force pilot, defeating the very purpose of upgrading radio equipment. Even worse, the enemy could find it easy to intercept communications because of lowered security protocols.
 
The IAF, which is ahead of the army and