Tonbo Imaging, the Bangalore-based defence technology company, has secured a significant contract from the Indian Navy to develop and deploy a high-power microwave (HPM) system under the ADITI 3.0 innovation scheme.
The contract is supported by iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) and the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO), both operating under the Ministry of Defence. This marks a major milestone in India’s directed-energy weapons program, with Tonbo Imaging emerging as one of the few private firms globally to possess in-house HPM technology.
Under the agreement, Tonbo Imaging will be responsible for system integration and commissioning, with multiple production units expected to follow once the system successfully clears development, validation, and acceptance trials.
HPM systems fall under the category of directed-energy weapons, which use concentrated electromagnetic energy rather than conventional munitions to disable or degrade targets. These systems are capable of incapacitating the electronics of unmanned aerial vehicles, sensors, and communications equipment without causing physical destruction, making them particularly effective against drone swarms.
Globally, only a handful of countries, including the United States, China, Russia, and the United Kingdom, are known to operate advanced HPM systems. The technology is strategically sensitive and technically demanding, but it offers a low cost-per-shot alternative to conventional air defence systems, which are often ill-suited to countering large numbers of inexpensive, coordinated drones.
The increasing use of drone swarms in conflicts such as Ukraine and the Middle East has underscored the urgency of developing such solutions, especially for naval forces that face unique challenges in protecting ships and maritime assets.
Tonbo Imaging’s managing director and chief executive, Arvind Lakshmikumar, highlighted that the company has invested several years in building indigenous HPM technology, particularly vacuum tube sources — the high-power RF emitters at the core of HPM weapons.
He emphasised that Tonbo holds core intellectual property in vacuum tube technologies, which proved decisive in winning the contract. Lakshmikumar explained that vacuum tube-based sources remain the only practical method for generating the extreme peak power and pulse energy levels required for HPM systems to effectively engage targets.
In contrast, solid-state RF alternatives, widely used in radar and communications, cannot currently meet these thresholds within feasible size and weight constraints for operational deployment.
The ADITI framework, or Advanced Defence Technology Incubation, is a government initiative designed to bridge the gap between laboratory-stage research and operational induction. ADITI 3.0 represents the latest iteration, with a strong focus on encouraging private industry to take on high-end defence technology development.
While the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been independently developing directed-energy weapons, including laser-based systems for counter-drone applications, the decision to involve a private company through a structured innovation framework signals a broadening of the approach. This is consistent with the government’s emphasis on private sector participation under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
Tonbo Imaging has in recent years expanded into loitering munitions and counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS), and the navy contract further cements its repositioning as a systems integrator for complex defence platforms.
The Indian Navy, meanwhile, has been steadily increasing its investments in non-kinetic and electronic warfare capabilities as part of a broader modernisation programme. The induction of HPM systems will provide the Navy with a cutting-edge tool to counter emerging aerial threats, particularly drone swarms, while reinforcing India’s indigenous capability in directed-energy weapons.
This development not only strengthens India’s defence preparedness but also signals the growing maturity of private industry in delivering strategically sensitive technologies. By integrating HPM systems into naval platforms, India is positioning itself alongside global leaders in directed-energy weaponry, while simultaneously advancing its self-reliance agenda in defence innovation.
Agencies
