Diaspro Intech has unveiled MARICHIKA, a ground breaking portable Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image disrupter designed to jam radar surveillance systems.

This innovative device serves as a potent counter-Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) tool, capable of challenging radar satellites and aircraft by generating false images or overwhelming noise.

If proven effective in field trials, it promises to revolutionise ground force protection by introducing a novel layer to traditional camouflage and electronic warfare (EW) strategies.

MARICHIKA operates by creating distortions or "mirages" that confound radar systems, effectively blinding all-weather, day-and-night imaging capabilities. SAR technology relies on microwaves to produce high-resolution ground images from orbiting satellites or high-altitude aircraft, penetrating clouds, darkness, and adverse weather conditions that optical sensors cannot handle.

By interfering with these microwave signals, the device disrupts the formation of coherent radar returns, replacing them with deceptive echoes or clutter.

The core functionality of MARICHIKA centres on signal manipulation. It likely emits tailored radio frequency (RF) responses that mimic natural terrain reflections while introducing anomalies, such as phantom vehicles, structures, or terrain shifts.

This forces the SAR processor to reconstruct erroneous images, rendering real targets indistinguishable amid the fabricated chaos. Such deception goes beyond brute-force jamming, which merely saturates receivers, by preserving some operational radar functionality while corrupting the intelligence output.

Portability stands out as a key attribute, enabling rapid deployment by ground troops without reliance on bulky infrastructure. Unlike stationary EW installations or vehicle-mounted jammers, MARICHIKA can be man-portable or integrated into lightweight kits, allowing infantry squads, forward operating bases, or mobile armoured units to activate protection on demand. This flexibility suits dynamic battlefields where persistent overhead surveillance from assets like China's Yaogan satellites or India's RISAT series poses constant threats.

In practical terms, the device complements existing defensive measures. Visual camouflage nets obscure optical and infrared detection, while traditional EW targets fire-control radars or communications. MARICHIKA uniquely addresses SAR-specific vulnerabilities, denying adversaries the persistent, high-fidelity mapping essential for targeting, battle damage assessment, and troop movement tracking. For Indian forces along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) or Line of Control (LoC), this could neutralise the all-seeing advantage of enemy reconnaissance drones and constellations.

The strategic significance extends to modern warfare doctrines emphasising multi-domain operations. Radar satellites provide near-real-time intelligence feeds to command centres, enabling precision strikes and manoeuvre planning.

By introducing uncertainty into these feeds, MARICHIKA forces opponents to cross-verify with costlier assets, like manned aircraft, thereby exposing them to air defences. This shifts the ISR battlespace asymmetry, empowering numerically inferior or defensively postured units.

Developed by a Noida-based start-up, MARICHIKA exemplifies India's burgeoning prowess in indigenous defence electronics under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. Diaspro Intech joins a roster of private innovators, including Tonbo Imaging and ideaForge, in bridging gaps left by public sector giants like DRDO and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). The technology likely draws from dual-use RF expertise honed in civilian sectors such as 5G telecommunications and automotive radars, accelerating cost-effective militarisation.

Technical underpinnings may involve digital radio frequency memory (DRFM) techniques, where incoming SAR pulses are captured, altered, and retransmitted with precise timing delays. Advanced variants could employ machine learning to adaptively profile specific SAR waveforms, countering frequency-agile or polarimetric radars.

Power efficiency remains critical for portability, potentially using compact solid-state amplifiers and battery packs to sustain operation for hours across X-band (8-12 GHz) or L-band (1-2 GHz) frequencies common in military SAR.

Deployment scenarios abound for the Indian Army and paramilitary forces. In high-altitude Ladakh outposts, it could shield assembly areas from Chinese SAR overflights. Along the Pakistan border, it protects strike corps concentrations during mobilisations. Integrated with systems like the Akashteer command network, MARICHIKA enables networked denial, where multiple units create overlapping "mirage zones" to fabricate entire decoy formations.

SAR systems evolve with anti-jamming features, such as multi-aperture processing or change detection algorithms that filter static distortions. Effectiveness diminishes against low-probability-of-intercept (LPI) radars or those using inverse SAR (ISAR) modes. Regulatory hurdles for RF emissions and export controls under MTCR guidelines may limit proliferation, though domestic production sidesteps many restrictions.

Testing and validation will prove pivotal. Diaspro Intech must demonstrate reliability against operational SAR profiles, perhaps through DRDO-facilitated trials at Pokhran or Chitradurga ranges. Integration with the Indian Armed Forces' EW ecosystem, including Samyukta and Divya Drishti suites, could amplify impact. Successful induction might spur variants for naval decoy buoys or air-droppable munitions.

Globally, MARICHIKA aligns with emerging counter-space trends. Russia fields similar Kvant-1 truck-based SAR jammers, while Israel’s Scorpius-SP disrupts airborne radars. The US explores metasurface "invisibility cloaks" for radar evasion. India's entry positions it as a niche exporter, potentially to QUAD partners facing Chinese surveillance dominance in the Indo-Pacific.

Economically, the device underscores private sector vitality. Start-ups like Diaspro benefit from iDEX funding and Technology Development Fund schemes, fostering a defence innovation pipeline. Mass production could slash unit costs below ₹50 lakh, making it viable for Tier-2 units and even allies in the Indian Ocean Region.

MARICHIKA heralds a tactical renaissance in counter-ISR, blending deception with mobility to pierce the veil of radar omnipotence. By turning pervasive surveillance into a liability, it empowers ground forces to manoeuvre unseen, bolstering India's strategic deterrence in an era of satellite ubiquity. As field data emerges, this "mirage maker" could redefine electronic camouflage for the digital age.

IDN (With Agency Inputs)