DRDO приглашает частных компаний на создание системы SHIELD для тестирования уязвимости дронов к микроволновому излучению

DRDO invites pvt players for SHIELD programme to build microwave system for testing drone vulnerabilitiesComments AA Text Size Small Medium Large SHIELD is an advanced DRDO evaluation framework designed to test the vulnerability of electronic systems to high-power microwave (HPM) radiation. NEW DELHI: To bolster India’s directed-energy technology capabilities, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has invited Indian private players to participate in the development of a specialised directed-energy testing facility.A request for proposal has been issued recently under the DRDO’s Technology Development Fund scheme for the SHIELD programme (S-band High-Power Microwave Integrated Evaluation System for Lethality and Damage). SHIELD is an advanced evaluation framework designed to test and assess the vulnerability of electronic systems to high-power microwave (HPM) radiation, which directly aids in developing next-generation counter-drone and electronic warfare technologies.As modern battlefields become increasingly reliant on sensitive digital microelectronics, unmanned platforms, automated command networks, and high-frequency sensor arrays, susceptibility to directed-energy interference has become significant.The primary objective of the project is to conceptualise, fabricate and validate a turnkey testing system capable of quantifying the vulnerability of electronic equipment when exposed to high-intensity microwave radiation. A key component of the proposed system will be Gallium Nitride-based Solid State Power Amplifier (GaN SSPA) technology. Gallium Nitride is increasingly used in high-frequency and high-power electronics because of its efficiency and high-power density. High-power microwave systems can induce transient logic errors, cause complete operational shutdowns or permanently destroy delicate microelectronic components without physical impact.Developing a complex evaluation platform like SHIELD requires expertise spanning high-frequency power electronics, digital signal control, automated test sequencing, high-voltage power distribution, and thermal fluid dynamics. Partnering with private industry allows DRDO to streamline the development timeline while establishing an accessible commercial testing infrastructure.DRDO’s pursuit of SHIELD is being taken as part of India’s broader Atmanirbhar Bharat push to build indigenous capability in directed-energy and electronic-warfare technologies rather than relying on imported systems. End of Article