India is developing its directed energy capability through the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO). By utilizing SHIELD and the S-band High-Power Microwave Integrated Evaluation System for Lethality and Damage, DRDO has invited Indian industry to build the platform through the Defence Technology Development Funds program. SHIELD is not a usable weapon system, but an evaluation system that should subject electronics to a controlled amount of high-powered microwave energy and determine the extent of disruption, impairment, or damage.
This capability is of obvious interest to countering UAV’s, as each can have its own controller, navigation device, communication link, sensors, processor, etc. Focusing electromagnetic energy could have a catastrophic impact on these, without actually needing to hit each UAV with a bullet or missile; although this can only really ever prove a cheaper, faster response at very large scale against a large, cheaply produced fleet of UAV’s.
The program can also allow engineers to design friendly equipment that is safe from electromagnetic attack. Test data can lead to the creation of hardened enclosures, shielded cables and connectors, and reliable electronics power sources and ground components. Working with start-up firms and small, medium, and large businesses, the SHIELD project can build a strong indigenous Indian base in high-power microwave technology, EM testing, and electronic warfare that provides an essential platform for both offensive anti-drone weapons and protective electronics.
