Counter-Drone System

• Context (TH): The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a counter-drone system and it is ready for production.

• A counter-drone system detects, identifies, and neutralises drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
• The technology is capable of countering attacks, soft kill and hard kill of all types of drones.
• It can be customised for different challenges.

High-end drones by DRDO

1) Tapas Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV

• It is developed for Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) applications.

TAPAS-BH (Tactical Airborne Platform for Aerial Surveillance-Beyond Horizon)

• It is a MALE UAV operating at an altitude of 30,000 feet.
• It has an endurance of 24 hours and covers a range of 250 kilometres.
• The system integrates advanced military-grade Electro-Optical (EO) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payloads, enhancing its surveillance capabilities.

EO Payloads Utilize electro-optics like infrared, multispectral, and hyperspectral sensors. Combine light detection technology with software control of multiple light sources. Analyse reflected light waves to identify object characteristics. SAR Payloads Operates day and night without reliance on sunlight. Penetrates through clouds, rain, fog, and smoke for image acquisition.

2) The Archer

• The Archer is a short-range weaponised unmanned aerial vehicle (SR-UAV) created by India’s Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE).
• The Archer-NG (Next-Generation) armed drone possesses a commanding range of up to 250 kilometres Line of Sight (LOS) and extends up to 1,000 kilometres through SATCOM (Satellite Communication) Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) communication.
• It offers options for both conventional and automatic take-off and landing.
• It can operate at altitudes of up to 30,000 feet.

Concerns with the technology

• The unavailability of drone batteries in the country.
• The older drones used nickel-cadmium and silver-zinc batteries as secondary power sources.

Nickel-Cadmium (NiCd) vs. Silver-Zinc (AgZn) Batteries

Weight

• Silver-zinc batteries are lighter, weighing one-third to one-fifth the weight of NiCd batteries.
• Despite the weight difference, they provide similar energy output.

Energy

• Silver-zinc batteries offer more energy than nickel-cadmium batteries of the same weight.

Life Cycle

• Nickel-cadmium batteries have a longer life cycle compared to silver-zinc batteries.
• However, silver-zinc batteries have lower terminal voltage despite their shorter life cycle.

DRDO DRDO was established in 1958 and works under the administrative control of Ministry of Defence. Its mission is to design and develop world-class technology base for Indian Defence Services.