India is accelerating its shift toward indigenous defense technology following revelations of severe reliability issues in the Zhuk-ME radar systems of its MiG-29K naval fighters. Leaked Rostec documents exposed by the Black Mirror hacker group reveal that the radar’s mean time between failures (MTBF) plummeted to just 20 hours in 2016—far below the contracted 150 hours—undermining fleet readiness. By 2019, the Indian Navy formally delisted the radar due to unmet performance standards. In response, Chennai-based Data Patterns has emerged with its HAWK I 900, a GaN-based AESA radar showcased at Aero India 2025, offering enhanced range, multi-target tracking, and jamming resistance. The system is being considered for both naval and air force upgrades, marking a strategic pivot toward self-reliance amid growing skepticism of Russian defense exports.