ECIL’s Anti Drone Smart Jammer is a compact, man-portable indigenous system designed to detect, classify and neutralise hostile UAVs using RF detection and GNSS jamming. It has already been deployed for high-profile events such as the G20 Summit, offering layered protection against rogue drones.

The Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), under the Department of Atomic Energy, has developed the Anti Drone System (ADS) Smart Jammer to counter aerial threats posed by rogue drones.

The system has received approval from the Anti Rogue Drone Technical Committee (ARDTC) and the Cabinet Secretariat, underscoring its credibility for deployment in sensitive environments.

The system is compact and man-portable, requiring only two personnel for installation, which can be completed within 15 minutes. This rapid deployment capability makes it suitable for both static and mobile operations, including VIP security and protection of critical infrastructure.

The detection component is based on a Software Defined Radio (SDR) passive RF detector. It operates across a wide frequency range of 400 MHz to 6 GHz, enabling detection, classification and localisation of UAVs and their ground control stations. The detection range extends up to 8 km with 360-degree azimuth coverage, ensuring comprehensive situational awareness.

The neutralisation system is indigenously designed and developed. It disrupts communication links and navigation systems of aerial threats by jamming RF and GNSS signals.

The jammer operates within the same 400 MHz to 6 GHz frequency band and can neutralise drones within a 2 km radius, again with full 360-degree coverage. This ensures both soft kill capabilities without physical destruction and effective denial of hostile drone operations.

ECIL’s Smart Jammer has already been deployed during major national events. At the Bharat Mandapam venue of the G20 Summit, ECIL’s anti-drone jammers provided all-round protection against potential aerial threats. Similar deployments have been made at VVIP motorcades and sensitive defence establishments, highlighting the system’s operational reliability.

The system integrates seamlessly with ECIL’s broader Homeland Security Solutions portfolio, which includes vehicle-mounted jammers, integrated security systems for Parliament House, Reserve Bank of India offices, nuclear power plants and defence installations. This reflects ECIL’s role as a key provider of end-to-end security solutions for India’s most sensitive sites.

The development of the Smart Jammer aligns with India’s strategic emphasis on self-reliance in defence technology. By indigenously designing and producing such systems, ECIL reduces dependence on imported technologies and ensures full intellectual property ownership.

This is particularly critical in the rapidly evolving domain of counter-drone warfare, where threats are becoming more sophisticated and widespread.

The Smart Jammer complements other indigenous counter-drone systems such as DRDO’s Akash Tarang and private sector solutions like Bhumi Entech’s Shatrunjay and Gurutvaa Systems’ DRONAAM. Together, these platforms form a layered defence against UAV threats ranging from small commercial drones to coordinated swarm attacks.

The rise of drone warfare in conflicts across Ukraine, West Asia and South Asia has underscored the vulnerability of conventional defence systems to low-cost UAVs.

India’s investment in indigenous counter-drone programs ensures preparedness against such threats, particularly along sensitive borders and during high-profile national events.

Agencies