| Against the backdrop of the quantum jump in Indo-US defence cooperation, another American firm -- Raytheon Systems Limited -- offered its Airborne Standoff Radar (ASTOR) system to India for long-range battlefield surveillance. In a deal worth $1.2 billion, the radar system has just been supplied to the UK Ministry of Defence. The Sentinel R1 aircraft forms the heart of the ASTOR platform, which uses an active electronically scanned array radar for relaying precise imagery to ground stations for optimal mission support. |