Tonbo Imaging has unveiled the WaveStrike, India’s first deployable third-generation High-Power Microwave (HPM) Directed Energy Weapon, designed for the Indian Army to counter drone swarms and electronic threats.

This marks a major leap in India’s indigenous defence technology, positioning the country among the few globally capable of fielding advanced HPM systems.

Tonbo Imaging, headquartered in Bengaluru, introduced the WaveStrike system at Aero India 2025. The unveiling highlighted India’s growing capacity in directed-energy weapons, with WaveStrike representing a non-lethal yet highly effective solution against unmanned aerial vehicles and swarm drone tactics.

The system uses concentrated microwave energy to disable or disrupt electronic systems, neutralising threats without physical destruction.

The WaveStrike is classified as a Gen-3 HPM system, making it India’s first deployable platform of this kind. It was developed to address the escalating threat posed by UAVs and drone swarms, which have been increasingly used in conflicts across Ukraine and the Middle East. Conventional air defence systems, such as missiles and guns, are often economically unsustainable against large numbers of inexpensive drones, making directed-energy weapons a cost-effective alternative.

At its core, the WaveStrike system employs multibeam klystrons, compact devices capable of generating substantial microwave energy with limited power input. This design ensures efficiency and portability while maintaining effectiveness.

The system integrates advanced search and track radars with electro-optical sensors, enabling precise detection and engagement of targets. Once locked, the directed microwave beams interfere with drone electronics, jamming communications, disabling navigation, or frying circuitry.

Tonbo Imaging’s co-founder and Chief Revenue and Business Officer, Ankit Kumar, explained that the system’s design allows for scalability and repeated use without the need for ammunition. This makes it particularly suitable for sustained operations against drone swarms.

The company’s managing director, Arvind Lakshmikumar, who has a background in DARPA, NASA, and DRDO projects, emphasised that Tonbo’s intellectual property in vacuum tube technologies was critical in achieving the extreme peak power levels required for HPM weapons.

The unveiling of WaveStrike also reflects India’s broader defence innovation push under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. The ADITI program, which bridges laboratory research with operational induction, has already supported Tonbo Imaging’s earlier naval HPM projects. WaveStrike now extends this capability to the Indian Army, strengthening its electronic warfare arsenal.

The system’s operational advantages include all-weather capability, rapid engagement cycles, and the ability to neutralise autonomous drones equipped with artificial intelligence.

Unlike jamming systems, which can be bypassed, WaveStrike directly disables hardware, ensuring a higher success rate against advanced UAVs. Its repeated usability without ammunition further reduces logistical burdens.

Internationally, only a handful of countries, including the United States, China, Russia, and the United Kingdom, have fielded advanced HPM systems. India’s induction of WaveStrike places it firmly within this elite group, signalling a significant milestone in indigenous defence technology development. The system has already attracted international attention, underscoring India’s growing role in the global directed-energy weapons landscape.

Tonbo Imaging has also diversified into loitering munitions and counter-unmanned aerial systems, positioning itself as a systems integrator for complex defence platforms. The WaveStrike contract for the Indian Army cements its role as a key private-sector contributor to India’s defence modernisation.

Agencies