High-Power Microwave Directed Energy Weapon (HPM DEW)

Intelligence Summary: HPM DEW

Node Identity: The High-Power Microwave (HPM) DEW system is a ground-based directed energy weapon categorized under the DEW group in the India intelligence graph. Developed by MTRDC (Microwave Tube Research and Development Centre, Bangalore) under DRDO, it represents India's most mature plasma-based microwave weapon for counter-UAS operations. The system was unveiled at the EWCI 2026 conference, marking India's entry into the operational HPM weapons domain.

Strategic Relevance: The HPM DEW system addresses one of India's most urgent tactical threats: the proliferation of drones along its western (Pakistan) and northern (China) borders. Pakistan has inducted Chinese-origin Type 054A/P frigates and is procuring HPM counter-UAS solutions, while China has deployed operational HPM anti-drone systems (Hurricane 2000/3000, FK-4000) and dominates global HPM patent filings at 90%. India's HPM DEW represents a direct technological response to this asymmetric electromagnetic threat. Unlike laser DEWs that require precise pointing and tracking, HPM weapons provide area-effect electronic kill capability — destroying electronic circuitry across a broader footprint without requiring pixel-level target tracking. This makes HPM particularly effective against drone swarms, a growing threat in South Asian conflict scenarios. The system's plasma-based microwave generation places it within the plasma weapons technology continuum, bridging conventional electronic warfare and true plasma projectile weapons.

Technical Focus / Capabilities: The HPM DEW system operates in S-band with 450 MW peak power, 20 nanosecond pulse width, and a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 50 or 500 Hz. It has successfully disabled DJI Phantom-type quadcopters at ranges up to 1 km, with a stated development goal of achieving 5 km kill range by June 2026. The S-band frequency selection optimizes for atmospheric propagation while targeting common UAS communication and navigation electronics. The 450 MW peak power output places India's system in a comparable class to Russia's export-offered Ranets-E (500 MW, X-band, 10-20 ns pulses, 10-14 km range), though at shorter demonstrated range. The system's ability to generate 20 ns pulses at up to 500 Hz PRF enables rapid engagement of multiple targets. The microwave generation technology involves vacuum electronics (microwave tubes) — a field where MTRDC has deep expertise — and the plasma physics of microwave-electron interactions in the tube cavity.

Network Linkage: The HPM DEW system maintains 3 documented connections: it is developed by MTRDC and falls under DRDO's broader DEW development portfolio. Within DRDO's multi-modal DEW architecture, the HPM system complements CHESS's Mk-II(A) laser (30 kW thermal kill), LASTEC's DURGA-II (100 kW laser/particle beam), and RCI's E-bomb (EMP munition). The HPM system shares technological kinship with BARC's KALI-5000, which also generates high-power microwaves through relativistic electron beam conversion, creating an indirect technology bridge between the nuclear establishment and DRDO's microwave weapons program.