DRDO Floats SHIELD RFP for Indigenous S-Band High-Power Microwave Evaluation System

The Defence Research and Development Organisation has floated a Request for Proposal for an advanced S-band High-Power Microwave Integrated Evaluation System for Lethality and Damage, or SHIELD, opening a new indigenous development effort in a field that is increasingly important to modern military technology: directed energy.

The programme is being taken forward under the Technology Development Fund scheme, which is designed to speed up defence innovation by backing industry-led projects. In SHIELD, DRDO is looking for a platform that can evaluate how high-power microwave radiation affects electronic systems, rather than a conventional weapon system meant for immediate field deployment.

According to the details provided, the proposed system will be built around a modular and scalable architecture. That design approach is intended to make the platform adaptable to different testing and operational environments, while also giving researchers and defence technologists a flexible way to study electromagnetic effects and better understand the vulnerability of electronics.

At the centre of the architecture will be Gallium Nitride-based Solid State Power Amplifier, or GaN SSPA, technology. Gallium Nitride has become increasingly important in high-frequency and high-power electronics because of its efficiency and power density. In the SHIELD system, it is meant to help generate high-power microwave signals while also addressing the thermal and reliability issues that typically arise in such systems.

The platform is expected to produce a peak electric field strength of at least 3 kV/m in the far field. That capability would allow controlled testing of S-band high-power microwave effects on electronic equipment and help researchers measure the damage that may result from exposure to electromagnetic energy.

SHIELD is also planned to operate in pulsed mode with flexible duty cycles. This would make it possible to simulate different exposure conditions during trials, giving scientists a way to examine how electronic systems respond to high-power microwave radiation under varying levels and patterns of stress.

Thermal management has been identified as another critical requirement. High-power microwave systems can generate substantial heat loads, and maintaining reliability over long durations depends on effective heat control. The programme therefore includes advanced thermal management solutions intended to support sustained operation.

The core objective of the evaluation system is to quantify the lethality and damage potential of S-band high-power microwave radiation against electronic systems. Testing of this kind can help establish how communications equipment, sensors and control systems behave when exposed to concentrated electromagnetic energy.

That information could be useful in developing survivability benchmarks and countermeasures. By systematically studying the impact of high-power microwave radiation, defence researchers can identify weak points in electronic systems and explore ways to improve resilience against electromagnetic threats.

One of the more notable features proposed for SHIELD is its drone-mountable configuration. The ability to mount the system on an unmanned platform would add flexibility for airborne testing and demonstrations, and it also reflects the broader trend of pairing directed-energy technologies with unmanned systems.

High-power microwave technology sits within the wider directed-energy weapons domain, alongside systems such as high-energy lasers. Unlike conventional kinetic weapons, directed-energy systems attempt to affect targets through concentrated energy, making them particularly relevant where electronic systems are the main target.

That relevance is growing as warfare becomes more dependent on interconnected communications networks, sensors, command-and-control systems and other electronic capabilities. The ability to assess, and potentially disrupt, such systems through electromagnetic effects has therefore become an important area of defence research.

For industry, too, the programme carries significance. Because SHIELD is being pursued through the Technology Development Fund, it creates space for Indian private-sector companies and start-ups to take part in the development of advanced defence technology. Such participation can help convert research ideas into engineered systems while also strengthening the domestic technology ecosystem.

The initiative also fits into India’s wider push for indigenous defence capability under Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Building domestic expertise in high-power microwave technologies, power amplifiers, thermal management and electromagnetic evaluation can reduce dependence on foreign technologies in a field that is becoming more important to military capability.

The proposed system may also matter beyond offensive applications of directed energy. A strong testing infrastructure is equally important for defensive work. Understanding how Indian communications, sensors and other electronic systems respond to high-power electromagnetic exposure can support efforts to make them more resilient and survivable.

The drone-mountable feature also points to the growing overlap between unmanned platforms and advanced electronic warfare technologies. As unmanned systems take on a larger role on the battlefield, compact and scalable payloads for specialised electromagnetic applications are likely to remain a key area of research.

At the same time, the RFP should be seen as a development and procurement step, not evidence that a fully operational weapon has entered service. The SHIELD platform is described primarily as an evaluation system meant to support research, testing and assessment of high-power microwave effects.

Even so, the programme is a notable addition to India’s directed-energy research roadmap. An indigenous capability to evaluate high-power microwave lethality and damage can provide the scientific and engineering base needed for future systems, while also helping strengthen protection against emerging electromagnetic threats.

With its GaN-based solid-state amplification, pulsed operation, thermal management features, high electric-field output and potential drone-mountable configuration, SHIELD is being positioned as a specialised technology demonstrator and evaluation architecture for India’s growing high-power microwave research effort.

More broadly, the initiative reflects the changing shape of defence technology, where future battlefield advantage will depend not only on conventional firepower but also on the ability to protect, disrupt and assess complex electronic systems. Through the TDF-backed SHIELD programme, DRDO is seeking to build indigenous expertise and infrastructure in this emerging field, supporting India’s longer-term ambitions in directed-energy and electronic warfare technologies.