New Delhi: In a significant stride for India’s defence capabilities, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted field trials of its ground-based High-Power Microwave (HPM) directed-energy weapon (DEW) system. According to recent reports, the system was demonstrated in mid-2024 with the ability to disable multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drone swarms, underscoring India’s advancing posture in next-generation warfare.
Background of Directed-Energy Weapon System
Directed-energy weapons, such as high-power lasers and microwave systems, are increasingly viewed as game-changers in modern warfare, especially for countering drone threats and saturated aerial attacks. For India, the journey has included earlier demonstrations of laser-based DEWs such as the Mk-II(A) 30-kilowatt system that engaged drones and fixed-wing aerial targets.
Building on that legacy, the HPM system focuses on the non-kinetic neutralisation of electronics– disabling UAVs, their sensors, communications, and navigation systems rather than blowing them up. According to Indian Defence News, the DRDO HPM system operates in the S-Band frequency, delivers pulses in the hundreds of megawatts range, and achieved disabling of drone swarms during trials.
What is Directed-Energy Weapon System
The HPM DEW system under development by DRDO’s Microwave Tube Research and Development Centre (MTRDC) is designed to emit high-intensity microwave bursts, targeting the electronic circuitry of drones and other aerial systems.
Key features reported include:
- Peak power output in the hundreds of megawatts range.
- Pulse bursts (~20 pulses per activation) with a cycle of roughly 2 seconds on and 5 minutes off.
- Effective demonstrated range of around 1 km in trials (with scope for extension).
- Ground-based platform with potential for integration on vehicles, naval platforms or land vehicles.
Importance of the Directed-Energy Weapon System
1. Counter-Drone Capability & Swarm Threats – With increasing adversary use of unmanned aerial systems and drone swarms, a non-kinetic weapon that can disable electronics offers a timely and cost-effective solution.
2. Indigenous Defence Technology – The HPM system adds to India’s growing portfolio of home-grown advanced weapons, strengthening the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” objective in defence.
3. Cost-Efficiency & Reduced Collateral Damage – By disabling electronics rather than physically destroying targets, the HPM DEW may reduce expensive ammunition use and minimise collateral impact.
4. Strategic Deterrence – Having cutting-edge DEW systems elevates India’s strategic deterrence posture and places it among the few nations advancing microwave directed-energy capabilities.
Key Challenges Ahead
Despite the successful trial, several challenges must be addressed:
Range Extension & Mobility: Current trial range (~1 km) is modest; scaling up for real battlefield depth remains key.
Power Supply & Cooling: High-power pulses require robust power and thermal management systems, particularly for mobile deployment.
Atmospheric & Environmental Conditions: Microwave systems, though more resilient than lasers, may still face limitations from terrain, weather and deployment constraints.
Integration with Existing Systems: Seamless incorporation with air defence command-and-control, sensors and platforms is essential for operational efficacy.
Operational Doctrine & Training: Successful deployment would require new doctrines, operator training and maintenance infrastructure.
Key Implications for India’s Defence Ecosystem
Military Doctrine: Incorporation of DEWs will likely lead to new layered-defence architectures where lasers, microwaves and missiles work in tandem.
Regional Security Dynamics: The capability sends a signal to neighbouring adversaries and strategic competitors about India’s evolving high-tech deterrence.
Defence Manufacturing & Ecosystem Growth: The project may spur industry involvement—private and public—in directed energy, microwave electronics and compact power systems.
Cost-Curve Advantage: Over time, repeated use of such systems could reduce dependency on expensive missile interceptors for certain categories of threats (e.g., drones).
Export Potential: A mature indigenous DEW system could be a defence export item, enhancing India’s global defence footprint.
Way Forward
- DRDO will need to conduct extended field trials at longer ranges, diverse terrain and under operational conditions.
- Mounting the HPM system on mobile platforms—land vehicles, patrol vessels, possibly airborne platforms—will increase usability.
- Close coupling with radar, AESA sensors, EO/IR and command & control networks will enhance target detection, tracking and engagement.
- Further innovation in compact power supplies, cooling, beam control and microwave components will benefit from industry and academic partnerships.
- The Indian Army, Air Force and Navy will need to develop operational doctrine and train crews to employ DEWs in joint operations.
- Engaging in cooperative testing or aligning specifications with allied countries can accelerate maturation.
