India has unveiled Girnar, a cutting-edge AI-powered hard-kill drone defence system designed to neutralise UAV threats with precision-guided firepower.

Unlike traditional jamming-based platforms, Girnar integrates radar, electro-optical sensors, and AI-driven targeting to physically destroy hostile drones and swarms. This marks a major leap in India’s indigenous counter-drone program.

India’s defence sector has accelerated its focus on counter-drone technologies as UAVs increasingly dominate modern battlefields. From Ukraine to West Asia, drones have proven decisive in reconnaissance, artillery correction, Kamikaze strikes, and swarm attacks. For India, the threat is particularly acute along sensitive borders where drones have been used for smuggling weapons, narcotics, and conducting surveillance missions.

Girnar represents a new generation of hard-kill systems. Developed under the Indigenous Design, Development and Manufacturing framework, it combines radar detection, electro-optical/infrared sensors, and passive RF monitoring to identify and track multiple aerial threats simultaneously. The AI-enabled command centre fuses sensor inputs, classifies targets, and prioritises engagements in real time, ensuring rapid response during swarm attacks.

The system is equipped with precision-guided micro-missiles and micro-rockets capable of intercepting drones at varying ranges. Larger UAVs can be detected up to 10 kilometres away, while smaller drones are tracked at closer distances.

The fire-control system integrates machine vision algorithms, enabling autonomous targeting and fire-and-forget interception. This ensures hostile drones are physically destroyed rather than merely jammed.

Girnar’s modular design allows deployment in vehicle-mounted, fixed-site, and portable configurations. It can be integrated with India’s Akashteer automated air defence network, providing seamless coordination with existing radar and missile systems. The platform also supports kinetic-impact and high-explosive variants, giving operators flexibility depending on the threat profile.

The Indian Army has already conducted demonstrations of Girnar, showcasing its ability to detect, track, and assign targets to launchers. While live firing was restricted during trials, the engagement sequence was successfully simulated, proving the system’s operational readiness. Defence planners view Girnar as a critical asset in bridging gaps exposed during past drone intrusions, such as the Jammu Air Force Station attack.

Strategically, Girnar strengthens India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat push by reducing reliance on imported counter-drone technologies. With UAVs expected to play a decisive role in future conflicts, systems like Girnar will be vital in protecting military bases, border regions, and critical infrastructure from aerial threats.

The unveiling of Girnar also complements India’s broader ecosystem of indigenous drone and counter-drone innovations. Alongside platforms like Bhargavastra, Zen Technologies’ CUAS, and Bangalore-based startups developing net-gun drones and amphibious UAVs, Girnar adds a powerful hard-kill capability to India’s layered defence architecture.

Agencies