India is taking another significant step towards developing next-generation electronic warfare and counter-drone capabilities with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) seeking industry participation for an advanced high-power microwave evaluation system.

Known as SHIELD, the proposed system is an S-band High-Power Microwave Integrated Evaluation System for Lethality and Damage. The programme is being pursued under the Technology Development Fund (TDF), an initiative aimed at encouraging Indian industry and startups to develop critical defence technologies domestically.

The move comes as militaries around the world increasingly explore directed-energy weapons and non-kinetic systems to deal with drones, electronic warfare threats and increasingly sophisticated battlefield electronics. However, SHIELD itself should not be mistaken for an operational anti-drone weapon. Its immediate purpose is to create a sophisticated testing and evaluation platform that can measure how electronic systems respond when exposed to high-power microwave radiation.

What is DRDO’s SHIELD programme?

SHIELD is essentially designed to answer a crucial question for modern warfare: How much electromagnetic energy can military electronics withstand before they malfunction or suffer permanent damage?

The proposed system will allow researchers to expose electronic equipment to controlled S-band high-power microwave radiation and assess its response. The testing could cover a broad range of systems, including communication equipment, sensors, radars and control systems.

Such testing is becoming increasingly important because modern military platforms depend heavily on electronics. A drone may rely on electronic flight controls, navigation systems, communications links and onboard sensors, while larger military platforms can contain an even more complex network of electronic components.

By establishing measurable vulnerability and survivability benchmarks, SHIELD could help defence researchers understand where electronic systems are most susceptible to electromagnetic attack and how those vulnerabilities can be addressed.

SHIELD will use advanced GaN technology

One of the key technological features of the proposed SHIELD system is the use of Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPAs).

GaN technology is increasingly important in high-power and high-frequency applications because of its combination of power density, efficiency and thermal performance. For a high-power microwave system, these characteristics are particularly valuable because generating substantial electromagnetic energy also creates significant thermal-management challenges.

The SHIELD platform is therefore expected to incorporate advanced thermal management and cooling systems to maintain stable performance during extended testing.

The system is also planned as a modular and scalable platform, allowing it to be adapted to different testing requirements rather than being restricted to a single configuration.

3 kV/m electric field and flexible pulse operation

According to the requirements outlined for the project, SHIELD is expected to generate a peak electric field strength of at least 3 kilovolts per metre (3 kV/m) in the far field.

This capability is significant because the objective is not simply to generate microwave energy but to create controlled and measurable exposure conditions under which the vulnerability of electronic systems can be studied.

The platform is also planned to operate in pulsed mode with flexible duty cycles. Multiple pulse modes and adjustable operating cycles would allow researchers to reproduce different electromagnetic exposure scenarios and examine how equipment responds to varying conditions.

That flexibility could be particularly useful for comparing different electronic systems, determining failure thresholds and developing protective measures against electromagnetic threats.

Drone-mountable design adds another dimension

Another notable feature of SHIELD is its proposed drone-mountable configuration.

The capability could allow the system to be carried by an unmanned platform for airborne testing and demonstrations. Such a configuration would provide researchers with greater flexibility in positioning the microwave system and evaluating its performance under different conditions.

Importantly, the drone-mountable feature does not mean that SHIELD has already been developed as an operational drone-based weapon. At this stage, the programme is focused on evaluation and testing infrastructure.

Nevertheless, the ability to explore high-power microwave technology from an airborne platform could have implications for the future development of mobile electronic warfare and counter-drone systems.

Why high-power microwave technology matters in drone warfare

The growing use of inexpensive drones has created a difficult challenge for militaries. Small unmanned aircraft can be relatively cheap to manufacture, while conventional methods of intercepting them can involve significantly more expensive missiles or kinetic interceptors.

This has increased interest in alternative counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS), including electronic warfare, directed-energy weapons and other non-kinetic technologies.

High-power microwave systems work differently from conventional weapons. Instead of physically striking a target, they direct intense electromagnetic energy towards electronic systems. Depending on the strength of the exposure and the target's design, the energy can interfere with or damage electronic components.

For drones, this could potentially affect flight-control electronics, communications, navigation equipment and other critical systems.

The technology is therefore often associated with the concept of a soft kill, where the objective is to neutralise a target by disrupting its electronic functioning rather than destroying it with a projectile or missile.

SHIELD is different from DRDO’s existing HPM counter-drone work

The SHIELD programme is also significant because it should be viewed separately from another high-power microwave counter-drone system already being developed by DRDO.

The Microwave Tube Research and Development Centre (MTRDC) in Bengaluru has been working on a ground-based high-power microwave system intended for counter-unmanned aircraft applications. A model of the system was publicly showcased in January 2026.

Reported details have described that system as operating in the S-band, with a peak power of around 450 megawatts and a pulse width of approximately 20 nanoseconds. Its beam width has also been reported as tuneable.

Earlier development information indicated testing against small commercial quadcopters at distances of around one kilometre, while a longer-term range of approximately five kilometres had also been discussed. However, publicly available information does not confirm that the five-kilometre objective or all previously reported milestones have been achieved.

SHIELD, by contrast, is primarily about creating the infrastructure required to measure, evaluate and understand high-power microwave effects.

India’s wider push towards directed-energy weapons

The SHIELD programme forms part of a broader Indian effort to develop indigenous directed-energy and counter-drone technologies.

The Technology Development Fund is particularly relevant because it provides a mechanism for private companies and startups to participate in developing specialised defence technologies. Through programmes such as SHIELD, Indian industry could contribute to areas including advanced electronics, microwave technology, power amplification and electromagnetic testing infrastructure.

This industry participation fits into India's broader Aatmanirbhar Bharat push, with the objective of reducing dependence on foreign technologies and building domestic capabilities in strategically important areas.

India's private defence ecosystem is also becoming increasingly involved in high-power microwave technology. In May 2026, Bengaluru-based Tonbo Imaging secured an Indian Navy contract under the ADITI 3.0 innovation framework for the integration and commissioning of a high-power microwave system for naval platforms. The company also markets its WaveStrike system as a directed-energy counter-drone capability.

Separately, reports in August 2026 indicated that Bharat Electronics Limited had completed development of a microwave directed-energy prototype and was preparing for user trials. That reported timeline, however, has not been independently confirmed through a comparable public announcement from the company.

SHIELD could strengthen both attack and defence

While high-power microwave technology is often discussed in the context of disabling hostile drones, SHIELD has an equally important defensive purpose.

The same testing infrastructure used to understand how enemy electronics might be affected can help India determine how vulnerable its own military systems are.

Communication networks, radars, sensors, aircraft electronics and command-and-control systems could all face electromagnetic threats in future conflicts. By subjecting representative systems to controlled microwave exposure, researchers can identify vulnerabilities and develop protective countermeasures.

In this sense, SHIELD is not simply about developing a future weapon. It is also about building resilience against weapons that may be used against India's own electronic infrastructure.

A building block for India’s future electronic warfare capability

Modern warfare is rapidly moving beyond conventional battles involving guns, missiles and aircraft. Drones, electronic warfare, cyber operations, autonomous systems and directed-energy technologies are becoming increasingly important elements of military strategy.

For India, developing an indigenous ability to test the effects of high-power microwave radiation could provide a critical foundation for future systems.

The immediate next step will depend on industry participation following DRDO's Request for Proposal, followed by development, integration and testing of the SHIELD platform. Its eventual importance will depend on how effectively the system performs against different electronic targets and how the resulting data is translated into operational technologies and protective countermeasures.

For now, the SHIELD programme represents an important research and development milestone rather than a deployed microwave drone shield. Its significance lies in creating the scientific and engineering foundation needed to move high-power microwave technology from controlled research towards practical electronic warfare and counter-drone applications.

If successfully developed, SHIELD could give India a stronger indigenous testing ecosystem for directed-energy technologies while simultaneously supporting efforts to protect its own military electronics from emerging electromagnetic threats.

With input from agencies

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