NEW DELHI: The defence ministry on Wednesday signed a Rs 2,906 crore contract with state-run Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) for procurement of transportable radar (Ashwini) for the Indian Air Force.

The radar has been indigenously designed and developed by Electronics and Radar Development Establishment of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

It is capable of tracking aerial targets from high-speed fighter aircraft to slow moving targets such as unmanned aerial vehicles and helicopters.

The defence ministry said acquisition of the radar will significantly enhance the operational preparedness of the Indian Air Force.

"As part of the government's efforts to strengthen indigenous defence capabilities, the Ministry of Defence has inked a capital acquisition contract with BEL for the procurement of Low-level Transportable Radar, LLTR (Ashwini) at a cost of Rs 2,906 crore," an official readout said.

The contract was signed in presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.

The LLTR is a radar based on state-of-the-art solid state technology.

"The programme is a major step towards achieving self-reliance in defence manufacturing by reducing dependency on foreign origin equipment manufacturers besides acting as a catalyst for the development of defence industrial ecosystem in the country," the readout said.