India tests drone-killer ‘Bhargavastra' successfully
New Delhi: India has taken a significant step in its counter-drone warfare capabilities with the successful testing of Bhargavastra, a low-cost anti-drone system developed by Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited.
Tested recently at the Seaward Firing Range in Gopalpur, the system is being hailed as a game-changer in addressing the growing challenge of drone swarms, particularly in the wake of modern conflicts like Operation Sindoor. Developed by the Economic Explosives Ltd, a subsidiary of Solar Group, the Bhargavastra system uses guided micro-munitions capable of destroying small and incoming drones at a range of up to 2.5 km, with radar detection extending up to 6 km.
In its recent field trials, the system successfully executed single and salvo-mode launches, achieving all target parameters.
Bhargavastra is engineered for deployment across India's diverse geographies, from desert plains to high-altitude mountain regions up to 5,000 meters. It is effective against autonomous drone swarms, which are often resistant to electronic jamming or spoofing.
Bhargavastra is not just a single-layer response but a multi-layered counter-drone platform. Its integrated Command-and-Control Centre comes with advanced C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence) systems, offering real-time situational awareness. It can be linked to India's broader defence networks, making it viable for network-centric warfare.
Its radar system can detect medium to large UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) up to 10 km away, while its Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) capabilities allow precise detection of low RCS (Radar Cross-Section) targets, often used in stealth drone attacks.
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