During the rush of Aero India’25, Rohit Srivastava, editor, IDI, met with Dr BK Das Director General (Electronics & Communication System) DRDO and discussed with him the vision of DRDO for future and hos DRDO is energizing the defence ecosystem to achieve self-reliance. Some excerpts…

On DRDO’s vision for future

With the current governments mandate, the DRDO is transforming into a technology leader, so the emphasis has to be on the technology. We are showcasing more than 300 technologies in this Aero India which are already developed and matured. All of them are offered to the private players so that they can imagine the next generation defence systems from hence forth. They need not develop the technologies which DRDO have developed.

DRDO has touched the heart and lot of startups are ready to work with us and already many are working with us. Together it is an integrated defence ecosystem that DRDO is promoting as forerunner and carrying the industry small and large, startups, incubation centers, together we are promoting for next generation technology development.

On DRDO’s Stealth Radar

Radars of two classes we have showcased here. One primary one, a VHF radar. The moment you go to very lower frequencies detection becomes very difficult, and it is a radar which does not open its panel on its own. It is already in a composed position and the moment utilization requires it opens up like an umbrella. As it opens up it starts getting the track. However, being at the lower frequencies, it is very difficult to be detected we call it a stealth radar.

It is first of its kind which India has developed and one of the best in the world. We could complete it in a record time through industries. The other aspect of the stealth is normally radar opens itself to detection when radars emit radiation. Unless, radar transmits, detection cannot happen, but it makes them vulnerable to anti-radiation missiles. So, a concept has emerged that detection without emission of radiation. That’s the theory of this radar. There are lots of radiation in UHF, VHF bands are moving around, as they move, they are reflected by the target and indirect reflection is captured by the receiver which can be computed and predict the range and position od aerial platforms accurately. The best part is we don’t pollute the environment with RF radiation. We secure our radar as there is no radiation. This becomes the green radar.

This is a passive emitter radar, yes, the receiver has to be very sensitive to process low level of signal and with signal processing we are able to extract exactly almost at the noise level and predict the target. We cannot disclose the numbers, but we have already tested across airfields, and we have got high level of accuracy which were comparable with conventional radars.

On anti-UAV system

Our D-4 system is an absolutely popular system and it has already gone for production for 23 numbers but that’s the generation wherein we have surveillance through the radar and electro-optics and hard-kill through the lasers. This is already in production. However, the journey does not stop there. In future the threats are expected to be more in numbers and lethality will increase. We are developing radar with longer range and microwaves which can pump much more power and also the direct kill laser has to be of higher source and of pin-pointing accuracy. These are two aspects on which our scientists are working. Many such systems are at advanced stages. They will be reason for pride for years to come.

On Rail Gun

The electromagnetic rail has been developed by one of our laboratories. It is a kinetic hit. Railgun with pin-point accuracy for a shorter ranger, it can neutralize targets. It is for drones and attack helicopters. 

On challenges of power for EW systems

It is challenging but the world is moving fast and couple of leading countries have very high-power range and we are also able to do it. We are working on green power, lithium ion and a kind of package batteries and super capacitors are also used for generating powers. These are future power technologies which the country has mastered.

On material of EW

We have DMRL which works on materials and composites and we are also developing denied chips etc. and these are the technologies that country is investing today, gone are the days when radars were banned, India makes its own radars, telemetry systems and even the basic modules of TR modules, so what could be the future choking points? Semiconductors.

Thanks to Hon Prime Minister’s Semiconductor mission that we are gearing up even to go to the fine granularity to the level of import replacement. We have our own software, we are waiting for technology as we get in, making our own chips and processors through our fab labs would be possible. In years to come we would be going in for zero import.

On Quantum and Photonics

In future quantum and photonics are going to be the two parallel lines of technologies and DRDO is quite advanced in both. One of our young scientist labs are working on Qbit and quantum communication. In quantum computing we have gone quite far and years to come we would be able to develop our own computers.

Photronics radar at chip level is already at IISc. We have progressed quite a lot. Coming to basic photonics, converting RF to optics and processing that entire block is already developed by DRDO. Now what we are looking at is developing an absolutely photonics radar. In couple of years India will have its own photonics radar.

On Augmented Reality and Data crunching challenge

The amount of data we are crunching these days is phenomenal. Today, we are aiming at zeta byte of data, and which cannot be crunched with conventional computers, probably neuromorphic computers will be the next levels of that. This is one vertical where backend processing is concerned. But, when we are talking about the augmented reality and all virtual reality simulations this is where DRDO is working very strong. Reason being we cannot afford to have all sensors and payloads to be flown on fighter aircraft and missiles, Fighter I can still imagine can land back when there is a problem, but missiles are single shot affair. So, we have to have concept of digital twins and hardware in loop simulations and try to bring the augmented reality close to actual reality so that the person uses get the feel of it.

Augmented reality reduces the cycle of development by bringing the user experience to designers. Today a very strong science is working on to give absolute feeling of augmented reality, immersive reality where in yourself get inside. DRDO is displaying anamorphic displays at Aero India. It is just to give feel of fighters etc.

DRDO and Industry  

We don’t exist without industry. Industry is coming up in a big way. They have really jumped into the challenge, and they have given me the assurance that they are hand in gloves working with the DRDO and together we can define new India.