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By:

Commodore S.L. Deshmukh

31 October 2024 at 8:30:19 am

The Beam That Blinds the Drone

As cheap drones reshape the battlefield, India’s T-SHUL BEAM points to a future in which electronic warfare may matter as much as firepower The drone has definitively become the weapon of choice for the modern battlefield. Cheap, expendable and increasingly autonomous, unmanned aerial vehicles can now threaten troops, armour, airfields and critical infrastructure without requiring the attacker to risk a pilot. Their proliferation has created a corresponding demand for counter-drone systems...

The Beam That Blinds the Drone

As cheap drones reshape the battlefield, India’s T-SHUL BEAM points to a future in which electronic warfare may matter as much as firepower The drone has definitively become the weapon of choice for the modern battlefield. Cheap, expendable and increasingly autonomous, unmanned aerial vehicles can now threaten troops, armour, airfields and critical infrastructure without requiring the attacker to risk a pilot. Their proliferation has created a corresponding demand for counter-drone systems that can respond quickly and at a cost proportionate to the threat. This is where beam-based anti-drone technology enters the picture. Broadly, such systems fall into two categories. Hard-kill systems use concentrated laser energy to physically damage or destroy a drone. Soft-kill systems, by contrast, use radio-frequency or electromagnetic energy to disrupt the electronic links that allow a drone to communicate, navigate and transmit information. Sophisticated Weaponry Hard-kill laser systems focus an intense beam of light on a vulnerable part of an incoming UAV - its carbon-fibre structure, control surfaces, battery or other critical components. The concentrated energy rapidly heats the target, potentially burning through its structure or disabling optical sensors and bringing the aircraft down. India’s DRDO has demonstrated a 30kW laser system, while Israel’s Rafael has developed the Lite Beam system. Soft-kill systems take a different route. Rather than physically destroying the aircraft, they interfere with the electronic architecture that keeps it airborne. Directional radio-frequency energy can disrupt command-and-control links, video feeds, telemetry and satellite-navigation signals such as GPS or other GNSS services. Depending on the drone and the nature of the disruption, the aircraft may be forced to land, return to its launch point or lose control. It is in this category that the T-SHUL BEAM system developed by Indian defence company IG Defence deserves attention. T-SHUL BEAM is a man-portable, directional counter-drone system designed for tactical deployment. Its multi-band radio-frequency architecture is intended to target several of the links on which unmanned aerial systems depend, including command-and-control, telemetry, video transmission and GNSS navigation. Its directional configuration allows an operator to concentrate electronic countermeasures on a particular aerial target rather than indiscriminately radiating energy across a large area. That matters on a battlefield where the warning time against a small UAV or first-person-view drone may be measured in seconds. The appeal of such a system is therefore not simply that it can counter a drone. It is that it can potentially bring counter-drone capability closer to the soldier and to the tactical edge. Large counter-UAS installations have their place, particularly around fixed and high-value assets. But forward units require systems that can move with them, be deployed rapidly and operate against small, low-cost unmanned platforms without imposing the logistical burden associated with conventional weapons. The T-SHUL BEAM’s significance also lies in its proposed integration with an artificial-intelligence-enabled battle-management architecture. IG Drones, the original equipment manufacturer, has stated that T-SHUL BEAM has been integrated with GRID, its indigenous AI-powered platform. The GRID architecture is intended to bring sensors, intelligence systems, unmanned platforms and command elements into a common operational framework. The attraction of such integration is obvious. Countering drones is increasingly less about a single weapon and more about the speed of the kill chain: detecting a threat, identifying it, deciding what response is appropriate and directing that response before the target disappears. An AI-enabled command architecture can potentially improve situational awareness, facilitate real-time threat detection and coordinate different systems operating simultaneously. This is particularly relevant as drone warfare evolves from isolated attacks towards increasingly complex and potentially swarming operations. A battlefield crowded with drones cannot be managed effectively if every sensor and weapon operates as a separate island. The advantage will increasingly belong to forces capable of turning disparate streams of information into a coherent picture and responding at machine speed. The T-SHUL BEAM’s reported demonstration at Pokhran represents another step in India’s attempt to build a domestic ecosystem spanning drones, counter-drones, artificial intelligence and electronic warfare. Counter-drone warfare is likely to be a recurring requirement rather than a niche capability. Importing every component of such an ecosystem would leave India vulnerable to supply-chain disruptions, technology restrictions and foreign-exchange pressures. Indigenous development, even when undertaken by relatively small private-sector companies, can broaden the country’s technological base and give the armed forces greater freedom to adapt systems to their operational requirements. Economics of the Contest Yet the real measure of any counter-drone system will ultimately be operational rather than promotional. Electronic warfare is inherently a contest between countermeasure and counter-countermeasure. Drone designers can alter frequencies, communications protocols, navigation methods and levels of autonomy. A system that is effective against one generation of drones may require modification against the next. The battlefield, in other words, will remain a technological arms race. The economics of the contest nevertheless favour directed-energy and electronic-warfare solutions. A conventional interceptor expends a missile or projectile against each target. A beam-based system can, subject to its power supply, engagement envelope and other operational constraints, engage targets without expending conventional ammunition. The marginal cost of an interception can consequently be dramatically lower. The beam also travels at effectively the speed of light, removing the flight time associated with kinetic interceptors. In densely populated areas or around sensitive infrastructure, bringing down a drone with a projectile can create its own hazards. Electronic disruption, when properly controlled, offers the possibility of neutralising the threat without sending an interceptor crashing back to earth. These advantages should not obscure the limitations. Soft-kill systems depend on the vulnerabilities of the target’s electronic architecture and may be less effective against increasingly autonomous drones that require fewer external communications. Weather, range, power availability, frequency management and the sophistication of an adversary's electronic countermeasures can all affect performance. No single technology is likely to provide a complete answer. The future of counter-drone warfare will therefore belong not to the beam alone but to layered defence combining. The emergence of systems such as T-SHUL BEAM suggests that India is beginning to build the technological pieces of that architecture at home. (The writer is a retired naval aviation officer and a defence and geopolitical analyst. Views personal.)

Economics With a Civilisational Soul

Writer: Monica B. Sood
Monica B. Sood
Jun 3
3 min read

A reflection on the ideas, history, and philosophy that shaped The Economic DNA of Bharat.


In The Economic DNA of Bharat, I explore an alternative framework that places civilisation, ethics, and human dignity at the centre of economic thought.


Part philosophy, part policy discourse, and part civilisational reflection, the book offers a sweeping exploration of Bharat’s economic journey, from the Indus–Saraswati civilisation to the aspirations of an Atmanirbhar India. In writing it, I sought to bring together economic analysis with cultural and civilisational perspectives.


Beyond Numbers

A central argument of the book is that economics cannot be viewed merely through graphs and GDP indicators. To me, an economy is a living organism shaped by people, memory, culture, and moral responsibility.


As I write in the book: “To me, the economy of Bharat is not a graph. It is a living organism that breathes through every artisan’s hand, every farmer’s field, every mother’s kitchen, every child’s dream, and every elder’s wisdom.”


This perspective shapes the book’s approach throughout. Rather than presenting economics as a detached discipline, it examines economic ideas through the experiences of farmers, artisans, women, village communities, and indigenous knowledge systems. In doing so, it brings the human and cultural dimensions of economic development into sharper focus.


Legacy of Kumar

In the book, I examine the ideas of my late father, economist and visionary Paramjit Kumar, on economic sovereignty, self-reliance, and national development, while also tracing their influence on my own understanding of economics. His work sought to connect economic policy with national dignity and long-term societal well-being.


“He believed that true power lay not in bombs but in bread.”


I also explore his ideas on ethical public expenditure, decentralisation, food security, and self-reliance. A central argument explored in the book is that every fiscal decision carries not just economic consequences but moral ones as well.


Civilisational Ethos

I trace Bharat’s economic foundations through village republics, artisan guilds, temple economies, and ancient trade systems, arguing that India historically nurtured an economy rooted in trust, reciprocity, and collective welfare.


A recurring theme is the idea of the “emotional economy” — the belief that economic relationships extend beyond the exchange of goods and services to encompass social bonds and shared values. As the book notes, “Guilds of artisans, merchant caravans, and farming cooperatives did not merely trade goods; they traded trust, identity,

and belonging.”


The chapters discussing the Indus–Saraswati civilisation, Kautilya’s Arthashastra, and the relationship between Artha and Dharma present an alternative lens through which economic history can be viewed—not merely as commerce, but as civilisation-building.


Developmental Journey

I also examine contemporary India’s developmental trajectory, including post-Independence economic evolution, liberalisation, digital transformation, infrastructure expansion, and employment-generation initiatives within the broader context of national development.


From Skill India and Make in India to digital infrastructure and manufacturing reforms, I view these developments as part of a larger process of economic and civilisational renewal. Throughout, it emphasises the importance of inclusivity, self-reliance, and long-term sustainability.


“We must construct an economy not of emulation, but of integration.”


The emphasis throughout is not simply on growth, but on meaningful

growth—one that reaches villages, empowers women, supports artisans,

strengthens farmers, and creates opportunities for future generations.


Personal Reflections

Alongside its discussion of economic policy and development, the book incorporates personal reflections that help frame its broader themes and ideas.


Some of these reflections centre on my experience of learning economics from my father: “My classroom was my home. My professor was my father. My syllabus was

the soul of Bharat.”


These personal insights provide context for many of the perspectives explored throughout the book. They also underscore its central themes of civilisational continuity, economic self-reliance, and Bharat’s future development.


Economic Soul

Through this book, I explore Bharat as both an emerging economy and a civilisation with its own developmental and philosophical traditions. Drawing on historical examples, contemporary policy discussions, and personal reflections, the book examines themes such as economic sovereignty, self-reliance, social cohesion, and sustainable development. It also considers how these ideas may inform Bharat’s future trajectory in a rapidly changing global landscape.


My hope is that the book encourages readers to think about economics not only as a matter of production and consumption, but also as a reflection of culture, values, and collective purpose.

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