As drones have become an integral part of modern warfare, India has been steadily expanding its focus on the design and production of drones and counter-drone systems. Complementing such efforts, a few days ago, Solar Defence and Aerospace Ltd. (SDAL) demonstrated its indigenously developed 'Bhargavastra', a vehicle-mounted, multi-layered counter-swarm drone system.
The company said it showcased the system to the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force at its Nagpur facility.
SDAL is developing Bhargavastra as a cost-effective hard-kill solution capable of defeating both individual drones and large autonomous swarms.
As the country increasingly faces drone threats along its borders, with unmanned systems being used for surveillance and attacks on military and other sensitive targets, Bhargavastra could play a role in countering such threats. The system integrates an advanced Command, Control, Communication and Intelligence (C4I) architecture with a radar capable of detecting UAVs up to 10 km away, an Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) surveillance system and passive radio frequency (RF) sensors.
The system, designed as a hard-kill solution against autonomous drones, employs indigenously designed and developed unguided rockets and precision micro-missiles arranged in a multi-layered engagement architecture, offering a highly effective and economical means of neutralising hostile UAVs.
The system can be deployed across diverse operational terrains, including high-altitude regions and deserts, and is designed to integrate seamlessly with the C4I networks of the Indian armed forces for future network-centric operations. It can also operate at altitudes of up to 5,000 metres above mean sea level.
According to the company, Bhargavastra is among the world's first fully integrated, vehicle-mounted, multi-layered counter-swarm drone systems to employ unguided rockets and micro-missiles with a dedicated swarm-neutralisation capability.
Earlier this year, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailed the system, saying it showcases the technological capabilities of the private sector.
