Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) fell more than 2% on Thursday

Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) fell more than 2% on Thursday despite the Ministry of Defence awarding the Navratna PSU a Rs 770-crore contract for improved low-level lightweight radars (LLLR-I).The stock was trading at Rs 363.50, down Rs 7.70 or 2.07%, on the NSE in early trade. The deal covers advanced radars designed to detect and track fighter jets as well as mini and micro drones, plugging gaps in the Army’s low-altitude air defence ***** LLLR-I is an upgraded version of the DRDO-designed Aslesha radar. It uses gallium nitride-based AESA technology with four fixed phased-array panels for 360-degree coverage without moving parts. The system can prioritise targets, detect very small radar cross-sections and feed data to weapon systems. It is man-portable and suited for plains, deserts and high-altitude ***** requirement gained urgency after Operation Sindoor, when Pakistan launched waves of drones—including Turkish and Chinese systems—towards military and civilian targets along the western front. Army air defence units shot down a large number of these drones.