DRDO eyes next-gen electronic warfare to propel India as global defence leader: Top official

The DRDO is focusing on next-generation electronic warfare technologies, spectrum dominance, and indigenous fighter aircraft programmes, with a strong emphasis on self-reliance and future warfare domains, its Director General (Electronics and Communication Systems), BK Das, said on Tuesday.

Speaking to media on the sidelines of the Electronic Warfare Conference-India (EWCI), Das said the event aimed to bring together all stakeholders in electronic warfare-including industry, academia and research institutions-to work towards a common objective in a rapidly evolving conflict domain. “The main focus is to bring together the entire electronic warfare ecosystem of the country-industry, academia and research institutions-to work towards a common cause in this emerging domain of warfare,” he said. Das said global participation and indigenous technology development under the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative were gaining momentum.

On future projects, he stated that the DRDO was working on advanced technologies that would redefine warfare in the coming decades.

“The futuristic focus areas include spectrum dominance with cognitive learning, along with new technologies such as photonics and quantum technologies,” he said, adding that these would provide flexibility, agility and decisive power in electronic warfare.

Photonics is the science and technology of light that focuses on the generation, manipulation, detection and use of photons, integrating optics and electronics to enable breakthroughs in telecommunications, medicine, computing and other advanced technologies.

On budgetary support, Das said funding had never been a constraint for the organisation.

“The budget has never been an issue for DRDO. We have always been well supported by the ministry,” he said, adding that the focus remained on cutting-edge technologies to make India a global defence technology leader by 2047.

Speaking on indigenous fighter aircraft programmes, Das said India must dominate the skies with platforms, weapons and sensors developed domestically.

“India has to reign the skies. The fighter aircraft must be of our own-powered by indigenous technologies and equipped with indigenous weapons,” he said, noting that the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk-1 and Mk-1A were ready and describing the current phase as “only the beginning.” He said work was progressing on the Mk-2 variant and the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), underlining the importance of stealth in modern aerial combat.

“If you want to dominate the sky, stealth (aircraft) is the way forward,” he said, adding that the AMCA project had been sanctioned and was being pursued jointly by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and DRDO.

Das also highlighted progress in indigenous sensors and weapon systems, saying the Uttam Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar had proven its capabilities. “We are developing our radar. The Uttam AESA radar has proven to be among the best, and in many aspects better than the best across the world,” he said. He added that the radar, along with jammers, weapon systems and missiles, was ready for integration with fighter platforms.

Outlining timelines, Das said the LCA Mk-1 was ready, Mk-1A deliveries would proceed as per schedule, the Mk-2 would roll out in three to four years, followed by the AMCA, enabling India to field fully indigenous fighter aircraft. Central to India’s self-reliance push, Tejas Mk-1 and Mk-1A provide the IAF with indigenous air superiority.