India unveils ground-based directed energy weapon

India's DRDO unveiled a model of its new high-power microwave C-UAS on 20 January 2026. (Janes/Akhil Kadidal)

India's Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has unveiled a new high-power microwave (HPM) system under development to defeat swarms of unmanned aircraft systems (UASs).

The prototype, currently known as the HPM directed energy weapon (DEW) system, is a product of the Microwave Tube Research and Development Centre (MTRDC), a DRDO laboratory located in Bangalore. A scale model of the system was unveiled in the city during the 2026 International Conference on Electronic Warfare (EWCI), organised by the India chapter of the US-headquartered Association of Old Crows (AOC). EWCI 2026 is being held from 20 to 22 January.

The HPM project began in 2019, a project member with MTRDC told Janes on 20 January, adding that the prototype is currently engaged in trials and testing. The system has disabled small quadcopter commercial unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), such as DJI Phantom-type UAVs, “up to a range of up to 1 km”, the project member said.

“Our goal is to achieve a kill range of up to 5 km,” the project member added. “The plan is to conclude all testing by June 2026.”

According to information provided by the team, the HPM DEW system operates in the S-band frequency, has a peak power output of 450 MW, and has a pulse-width of 20 ns. The system's single-shot pulse repetition frequency (PRF) is 50 Hz or 500 Hz.

While Janes understands that the width of the beam is “tuneable”, the project member said that additional specifics could not be provided due to the sensitive nature of the programme.

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