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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.)

Maharashtra’s Agri Leap into Europe

Writer: Parashram Patil
Parashram Patil
Jul 29
3 min read

The next big opportunity for Maharashtra’s farmers may not lie only in bigger harvests, but in smarter markets. As India and the European Union move towards a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the state has a chance to transform itself from a supplier of agricultural commodities into a global hub for high-value, sustainable food products.


The India–France strategic partnership, traditionally anchored in defence, space, clean energy and the Indo-Pacific, is acquiring a new dimension: agriculture. For Maharashtra, which already occupies a commanding position in India’s horticulture and agricultural exports, the partnership offers a route to integrate with European markets, attract investment and create a more prosperous rural economy.


Opportune Moment

The timing is favourable. European consumers are increasingly demanding food that is not merely affordable but traceable, safe and environmentally responsible. The future of agriculture will belong to those who can guarantee quality from the farm gate to the supermarket shelf. Maharashtra has the raw material. The challenge is to build the systems that convert production strength into global competitiveness.


The state begins with considerable advantages. It is India’s largest exporter of grapes, pomegranates and Alphonso mangoes, products that already carry international recognition. Its agricultural basket also includes onions, bananas, sugar, spices, cashew and processed foods. With the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, expanding cold-chain networks, the Samruddhi Mahamarg, Atal Setu and the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport, Maharashtra is steadily building the physical infrastructure required to connect farmers with distant consumers.


The proposed India–EU FTA could significantly widen these possibilities. Nashik grapes, which have already met demanding European standards on food safety and traceability, can find greater space in premium retail markets in France and across Europe. Ratnagiri and Devgad Alphonso mangoes, protected by Geographical Indication (GI) status, have the potential to become niche luxury products rather than seasonal exports. Pomegranates from Solapur and Sangli, bananas from Jalgaon, Nagpur oranges, Konkan cashews, Kolhapuri jaggery, turmeric and spices can all benefit from rising European demand for healthy and sustainably produced foods.


Traditional Trap

But the real opportunity lies beyond exporting raw produce. Maharashtra must avoid the traditional trap of shipping commodities while others capture the larger profits through processing and branding. The future lies in fruit pulps, juices, dehydrated vegetables, ready-to-eat foods, nutraceuticals and specialty ingredients. Value addition can create rural enterprises, generate jobs and ensure that a larger share of global market earnings reaches farmers.


The foundations for such a transformation are already being laid. National programmes such as the Agriculture Export Policy, PM Gati Shakti, the National Logistics Policy, PM Kisan SAMPADA Yojana and the Digital Agriculture Mission are creating an enabling environment. Maharashtra’s own initiatives, including the Maharashtra Agribusiness Network (MAGNET), SMART Project and Project on Climate Resilient Agriculture (POCRA), are strengthening Farmer Producer Organisations, improving market access and encouraging investment in modern agricultural value chains.


The next frontier, however, will be sustainability. European markets are becoming increasingly sensitive to chemical residues, carbon footprints and production practices. Natural Farming can become a strategic advantage if combined with scientific monitoring, digital traceability and international certification. Maharashtra’s grapes, mangoes, pomegranates and spices can command premium prices if consumers in Europe can verify not only where they were grown, but how they were grown.


This is where France can play a catalytic role. French expertise in food processing, precision agriculture, geographical indications, sustainable farming and agri-technology can complement Maharashtra’s production capabilities. Partnerships in research, cold-chain management, food processing and agricultural innovation can help create an ecosystem that benefits farmers, entrepreneurs and consumers alike.


Yet global markets are unforgiving. International competitiveness requires consistency, quality control and institutional coordination. A single shipment failing safety standards can damage years of market-building. Maharashtra will therefore need stronger testing facilities, better farmer training, efficient certification systems and deeper integration between producers, exporters and technology providers.


The ambition must extend beyond exports. Agriculture remains central to Maharashtra’s broader development story. A prosperous rural economy will require not only higher yields but higher incomes, driven by innovation and access to premium markets.


As Maharashtra pursues its vision of becoming a developed economy by 2047, the India–France partnership and the India–EU FTA offer a rare strategic opening. The state can become India’s agricultural gateway to Europe. And if Maharashtra gets the formula right, its fields could become the foundation of a new global agricultural identity.


(The writer is a member of Maharashtra Agriculture Price Commission. Views personal.)

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