From Bhargavastra to Indrajaal: How India's drone killers take on hostile UAVs, swarms
India is rapidly advancing its domestic counter-drone capabilities to address the growing threat of unmanned aerial systems in modern warfare. The country is deploying a mix of kinetic hard-kill and non-kinetic soft-kill technologies, including lasers, jammers, and AI-driven detection systems.
Why it matters
As drone warfare becomes more prevalent, developing indigenous defense systems is critical for national security and regional stability.
As drones are reshaping how conflicts are fought, the race is also on to counter this threat. Counter-drone systems fall into two distinct categories: kinetic (hard-kill) and non-kinetic (soft-kill). Both operate on different operational philosophies.The soft-kill method depends on breaking the link between the operator and the drone, which is achieved by jamming the frequency on which the drone operates. Soft-kill systems may also utilise GPS jamming and spoofing to mislead or confuse the drone's navigation system, causing it to behave erratically. Electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) can also be used to disable drones, although this method is less commonly employed.The hard-kill option, on the other hand, involves the physical destruction of the drone.
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