BHUBANESWAR: India thwarted over 600 drone attacks in last six days, and how!
The Russian-made S-400 air defence system was given the credit initially. But it was the indigenously developed 'Iron Dome' by DRDO that proved to be a game-changer in effectively neutralising the drone swarms launched by Pakistan in response to India's precision strike on terror hubs there.
The system was developed by the premier defence agency in a record two years time and proved its battle worthiness with aplomb.
"If the iron dome system of Israel thwarted rocket attacks by Hamas in Gaza and Houthis in Yemen, it was the advanced drone detect, deter and destroy system deployed by India that neutralised all aerial threats from Pakistan with remarkable precision," a defence official told The New Indian Express.
The counter-drone system developed by DRDO labs, including Bengaluru-based Electronics and Radar Development Establishment, Hyderabad-based Defence Electronics Research Laboratory, Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences and Dehradun-based Instruments Research and Development Establishment, successfully detected the incoming drones within no time and destroyed the aerial threats.
Defence sources said the newly-developed ground-based invisible shield, which was inducted in the three services - Indian Army, Navy and Air Force - in March, has been instrumental in preventing Pakistani drones, many of them of Turkish and Chinese origin, from penetrating Indian airspace and causing damage in realtime combat scenario since May 7.
Manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), the laser-based integrated drone detection and interdiction system uses a multi-layered detection and neutralisation strategy. It combines radar and radio frequency detection, electro-optical tracking, GPS spoofing, and laser-based destruction to disable hostile drones.
Equipped with high-energy laser technology, it offers both 'soft kill' and 'hard kill' options. The system is capable of identifying and neutralising single or swarm drone threats within a four km radius.
How India blunted Pakistan's low-cost strategy of drone swarming
A DRDO scientist said the system can detect aerial threats through a combination of radar, radio frequency detectors, and electro-optical systems.
"Neutralisation begins with soft kill measures such as jamming of radio frequency, global navigation satellite system and GPS spoofing techniques that either deny or destroy navigation capabilities of the incoming drones mid-flight," he said.
The system adopts a hard-kill approach and switches to directed energy weapons if the soft kill method proves insufficient. A high-powered laser weapon, developed by the Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences, Hyderabad, then takes out the drone with pinpoint accuracy, the scientist said.
With the swift deployment and successful operation of the anti-drone system, India has managed to blunt Pakistan's low-cost strategy of drone swarming, a tactic aimed at exhausting traditional air defence assets. The system assumed significance as unlike missiles, the laser weapons can be used repeatedly without significant replenishment concerns, giving India a sustained edge in long-duration engagements.
The new counter-drone system is highly mobile and modular as it can be mounted on vehicles for battlefield deployment or installed in a static configuration at critical installations. The static version offers 360-degree surveillance and can take down even small drones used for reconnaissance or targeting.
Part of a broader push
The development of the system has been part of a broader push for indigenisation in defence manufacturing. Apart from BEL, private sector firms such as Adani Defence and L&T have partnered with DRDO in advancing anti-drone capabilities.
A vehicle-mounted counter-drone system developed by Adani has already been unveiled at Aero India 2025. With seamless protection through advanced sensor capabilities, including automatic detection, classification, and neutralisation of drones, it ensures long-range protection, agility, and precision, making it a formidable asset for modern defence forces..
Although more than 100 companies worldwide are into the manufacturing of counter-drone systems, only the US and Israel have achieved expertise in the area.
India's homegrown anti-drone system has already set a benchmark during the recent conflict, sources claimed.
"Induction of the system into the services has been one of the fastest. DRDO is now developing the GenNex anti-drone system aimed at enhancing detection range, processing speed, and kill accuracy. Once developed, it would be the third country to possess the technology," the sources added.
Q1: What makes India’s drone defense system comparable to Israel’s Iron Dome?
While technologically different, India's system offers real-time interception, multi-layered targeting, and low-latency threat neutralization, all features that parallel Israel’s Iron Dome in function, if not form.
Q2: Has the Indian-made system seen real combat usage?
Yes, it was effectively deployed during Operation Sindoor, neutralizing over 600 drone threats from across the western border.
Q3: What kind of drones was the Indian system targeting?
The system was designed to identify, track, and destroy a mix of low-flying surveillance drones and weaponized UAVs entering Indian airspace.
Q4: How does this system reflect on India’s defense capabilities?
This marks a pivotal step in India’s defense autonomy, showing its ability to not just manufacture but deploy strategic technology in real-world scenarios.
