New Delhi: The DRDO is developing an indigenous software-defined radio (SDR) dedicated to the Indian Air Force, which will provide secure communication between fighter aircraft and ground stations. The system is being developed with enhanced security protocols and is expected to give the IAF an Indian-developed communication platform for its future operations.
The development is significant for the IAF as the force currently uses Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defence Systems’ B-Net communication system on its fighter aircraft. The B-Net system was inducted after a deal with Rafael in 2017, while the DRDO’s SDR programme is aimed at building an indigenous capability for secure military communications.
According to BusinessLine, BK Das, director general of DRDO’s electronic communication systems cluster in Bengaluru, said the organization is still working on the SDR dedicated to the IAF. He said DRDO expects to prove some waveforms by the end of this year, while the SDR systems developed for the Indian Army and Navy have already been handed over.
The IAF-specific programme is part of DRDO’s wider development of software-defined communication systems for the armed forces. Unlike conventional radios built around fixed hardware, SDRs use software-defined waveforms, allowing communication functions and capabilities to be modified as operational requirements change.
The technology is already being used for naval communication through DRDO’s SDR Tactical, which supports ship-to-ship, ship-to-shore and ship-to-air voice, video and data communication. The system can operate all four communication channels simultaneously, supporting the Navy’s network-centric operations.
The Indian Army is also integrating DRDO’s SDR Manpac across its arms and units. The system is designed to provide high data rates along with Mobile Ad hoc Network (Manet) capabilities, allowing troops and mobile users to remain connected through an indigenous communication system.
With the IAF programme still under development, DRDO is working on the technology needed to take the system from waveform development to a production-ready communication platform. BEL is the manufacturing partner for the Army and Navy SDR versions, while Indian companies are also contributing to the domestic supply chain supporting these systems.
DRDO’s work on SDRs also extends to creating common software standards for military communication systems. Its defence electronics applications laboratory (DEAL) is developing the next version of the Indian Radio Software Architecture (Irsa), which is intended to support interoperability between different SDR systems and allow waveforms to be developed and transferred across compatible platforms.
Irsa 1.0 was released in October 2025 and includes specifications covering waveform portability, interoperability, certification and conformance. The framework is intended to provide a common basis for indigenous SDR systems, rather than having each communication platform operate through completely separate software standards.
Once the IAF SDR is completed and enters production, the force could gradually move towards an indigenous communication system for its fighter aircraft and ground stations. Combined with the SDR systems being developed for the Army and Indian Navy, the programme is intended to build a common domestic base for secure voice, video and data communication across the three services.
The development also reflects the longer transition from hardware-dependent military radios to software-defined systems that can be updated through new waveforms and software. DRDO’s continuing work on the IAF system, alongside the Army and Navy programmes and Irsa standards, is therefore building the technology, manufacturing capability and software framework required for indigenous military communication systems.