top of page

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.)

Why I Wrote ‘From Startups to Success’

Manu Patolia
May 23
3 min read

A practical guide for aspiring entrepreneurs and dreamers from ordinary backgrounds carrying extraordinary ambitions.

When I first arrived in San Francisco in 1969 with just seventy-five cents in my pocket, I could never have imagined that one day I would write a book on entrepreneurship and business leadership. I came from Taravada, a small village in Gujarat, where opportunities were limited, but dreams were not. My parents, despite having very little formal education, taught me values that would shape my entire life: integrity, discipline, faith and hard work. Those values later became the foundation on which I built businesses across engineering, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and hospitality in the United States.


My earlier book, From the Village to the World, focused on my personal journey from rural India to building a business empire in America. It told the story of struggle, migration, faith and perseverance. However, after the release of that book, many young people reached out to me, asking not just about my life, but about the practical lessons behind it. They wanted to know how businesses are built, how setbacks are overcome and how one develops the courage to take risks. That is what inspired me to write From Startups to Success.


I wanted this book to become more than a memoir. I wanted it to serve as a practical guide for aspiring entrepreneurs and dreamers from ordinary backgrounds who carry extraordinary ambitions within them. Entrepreneurship is often glamorised today, but people rarely speak honestly about the emotional struggles, uncertainty and discipline it demands. In the book, I write, “The courage to start is the key that unlocks endless possibilities.” That belief has guided my life for decades.


One of the central ideas in the book is what I call “The One Per Cent Mindset". Many people dream of building businesses, but only a few are willing to persist when difficulties arise. As I explain in the book, “The one per cent don’t just dream; they dare. They endure. They persist when others quit.” I have personally experienced this truth throughout my entrepreneurial journey.


No Experience

When I started Pentadyne Circuit Board Manufacturing in California during the 1980s, I had no prior experience in PCB manufacturing. Yet I was determined to learn. I spent months visiting factories, studying systems and meeting consultants. Eventually, I introduced a “Guaranteed Delivery" model because delayed deliveries were a major problem in the industry at the time. Customers trusted us because we solved a real problem for them. That experience taught me that successful businesses are built not only through innovation but also through reliability, preparation and understanding customer needs.


Another reason I wrote this book was to emphasise that success is not only measured through wealth. Throughout my life, family and social responsibility have remained at the centre of everything I have done. In From Startups to Success, I write, “True success is living with purpose, building something that outlasts me, and lifting others as I rise.” I believe entrepreneurship should create value not only for the individual but also for families, communities and future generations.


The book also explores the importance of stepping beyond comfort zones. Looking back, every meaningful turning point in my life came from embracing uncertainty. Leaving India, beginning businesses in unfamiliar industries and taking calculated risks were never easy decisions. But growth never comes from comfort. As I write in the book, “Comfort zones are deceptive. They feel safe, but they are cages.” That lesson became deeply personal to me after immigrating to America and rebuilding my life from scratch.


Deeply Practical

At the same time, I wanted the book to remain deeply practical. It contains chapters on leadership, financial discipline, negotiation skills, operational systems, customer relationships and sustainable growth. However, beyond business strategies, I also wanted readers to understand the importance of resilience and adaptability. Markets change constantly.


Industries evolve, and failures are inevitable. The entrepreneurs who survive are the ones who continue learning and moving forward despite setbacks.


Today, much of my focus is directed toward education and giving back to society. Initiatives such as the Taravada Swaminarayan Gurukul and the development of Dharmajivan University in Gujarat reflect my belief that education is one of the greatest tools for transformation. I have always believed that real success lies in uplifting others along the way.


Ultimately, From Startups to Success is not simply a business book. It is a reflection of my life philosophy, shaped through decades of struggle, faith and perseverance. If there is one


message I hope readers carry with them is this: your beginnings do not define your future. As I write in the book, “You don’t need to be born into the one per cent to become one of them. You just have to believe in yourself, work hard and stay persistent.”


(The writer is an author.)

Comments

bottom of page