The first five nodes of the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) integrated air command and control system (IACCS) will be operational in the western and south-western sectors by the end of this year.

The IACCS, originally proposed in 1998, is intended to have a fully-automated network to integrate military radars with each other as well as with civilian radars.

The Economic Times has quoted an official as saying: "The aim is to detect and tackle enemy and terror aerial threats in real time by putting in place a composite and enhanced surveillance capability."

The automated system enables transfer of data from ground-based radars, AWACS and aerostat radars to conduct operations from one central location.

The centralised real-time transfer of images, data and voice from satellites, aircraft and ground stations also allows early detection and neutralisation of threats.

The IAF also has plans to gain approval for the next five integrated air command and control system nodes.