The indigenous Netra Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system was accorded Final Operational Clearance (FOC) on June 25, 2026, at a ceremony in Bengaluru. Developed by the Bengaluru-based Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS), the Netra AEW&C is integrated on the Brazilian Embraer EMB-145I aircraft platform. The system carries a sophisticated mission suite, including an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, Identification Friend or Foe (IFF), a mission computer, secure communication networks, electronic support measures (ESM) and communication support measures. India became the fifth country in the world to develop this capability, as the Netra can detect, track, identify and monitor airborne and maritime targets, strengthening the IAF's network-centric operations. The Netra acted as a force multiplier during the 2019 Balakot strikes and Operation Sindoor in May 2025. The roots of the programme go back to the early 1980s; IAF's pursuit of an indigenous AEW&C began in 1983 under a DRDO project office. After the tragic crash of a modified HS-748 Avro aircraft near Arakkonam in 1999, which killed eight people including four IAF personnel and four scientists, the programme was temporarily abandoned and re-sanctioned afresh in 2004. Initial Operational Clearance came in 2015 and the system was inducted into the IAF in 2017. Between IOC and FOC, an indigenous ESM system was developed, the radar's low-flying target detection was improved, and legacy radios were replaced with high-capability Software Defined Radio. The Cabinet Committee on Security has approved development of six more AEW&C Mk-1A systems by CABS. Scientists and IAF officers dedicated the FOC to the colleagues killed in the 1999 crash.