DRDO Invites Private Industry to Build S-Band High-Power Microwave Testing Rig

DRDO Solicits Industry Collaboration for Microwave Evaluation Facility

In a major effort to bolster India's sovereign defense testing capabilities, the Defence Research and Development Organisation has formally invited domestic private industry, start-ups, and micro, small, and medium enterprises to participate in the development of a specialized directed-energy testing facility. Announced in early September 2026 under the aegis of DRDO’s Technology Development Fund scheme, the initiative is designated as the SHIELD program, an acronym for S-band High-Power Microwave Integrated Evaluation System for Lethality and Damage. The primary objective of the project is to conceptualize, fabricate, and validate a turnkey testing system capable of quantifying the vulnerability of electronic equipment when exposed to high-intensity microwave radiation.

As modern battlefields become increasingly reliant on sensitive digital microelectronics, unmanned platforms, automated command networks, and high-frequency sensor arrays, susceptibility to directed-energy interference has emerged as a paramount survivability concern. High-power microwave systems can induce transient logic errors, cause complete operational shutdowns, or permanently destroy delicate microelectronic components without physical impact. To address this evolving threat vector, DRDO is leveraging the Technology Development Fund to co-develop an indigenous, high-precision evaluation complex. By transitioning from foreign reliance to domestic technology ownership, the SHIELD initiative aims to equip Indian defense platforms with validated electromagnetic hardening and sovereign testing methodologies.

Technical Specifications and Solid-State Power Architecture

At the core of the SHIELD evaluation platform lies an advanced microwave amplification architecture centered on Gallium Nitride solid-state power amplifier technology. Traditional high-power RF generation systems have historically relied on bulky vacuum-tube devices such as magnetrons or klystrons, which suffer from limited operational lifespans, high voltage requirements, and thermal constraints. In contrast, Gallium Nitride wide-bandgap semiconductors deliver exceptional breakdown voltage, elevated thermal conductivity, and high power density. These physical attributes allow Gallium Nitride power amplifiers to generate intense, repeatable RF signals within a compact physical footprint while maintaining operational stability under rigorous duty cycles.

To establish a rigorous standard for electronic vulnerability assessment, the SHIELD facility is mandated to meet strict physical and operational performance parameters:

• Electric Field Strength: The system must generate a peak electric field intensity of at least 3 kilovolts per meter (3 kV/m) in the far-field test region, ensuring sufficient energy concentration to evaluate deep component stress.
• Frequency Spectrum: Operations are centered within the S-band, a vital frequency band widely utilized by military tactical radars, air defense tracking networks, and airborne communications platforms.
• Pulsed Modulation: The evaluation rig must support variable pulsed operation with highly flexible duty cycles, enabling test engineers to emulate diverse electromagnetic attack profiles ranging from short, ultra-intense pulses to sustained repetitive bursts.
• Modular Design: The hardware and control architecture must feature a flexible, modular layout to accommodate both laboratory anechoic chamber testing and field-level operational trials across varying test geometries.
• Thermal Management System: Integrated high-capacity cooling mechanisms—including closed-loop liquid chiller modules and high-efficiency heat exchangers—are required to dissipate the substantial heat loads generated during high-duty-cycle solid-state power amplification.

Evaluating Electronic Vulnerabilities and Hardening Requirements

Evaluating how sensitive defense avionics and control systems withstand directed-energy pulses requires precise control over signal characteristics and environmental parameters. When high-power microwave energy strikes an unshielded or partially protected electronic assembly, the energy couples into the system through two primary pathways: front-door coupling via antennas and sensors, or back-door coupling through cabling, enclosure seams, and power supply lines. Once inside, the induced electrical surges can cause logic bit flips, latch-ups in microprocessors, or severe thermal junction breakdown in integrated circuits.

The SHIELD program provides a controlled, highly instrumented test environment where defense engineers can systematically expose subsystems to high-intensity fields. By measuring the precise field threshold at which a component experiences non-destructive upset versus permanent damage, testing teams can establish definitive lethality curves. This empirical data is critical for designing targeted protective measures, such as optimized electromagnetic shielding enclosures, fast-acting RF limiters, transient suppression filters, and hardened printed circuit board layouts. Hardening radar receivers, missile guidance units, ground communication nodes, and autonomous drone flight controllers against electromagnetic attack ensures operational continuity in hostile environments.

Commercializing Strategic Testing via the Technology Development Fund

The execution of project SHIELD through DRDO’s Technology Development Fund underscores a strategic policy shift toward engaging private sector engineering expertise for complex defense infrastructure. The Technology Development Fund scheme provides financial grants and development support to Indian enterprises, incentivizing domestic industry to design cutting-edge technologies that were previously imported or restricted to public sector laboratories. By making the SHIELD tender available to commercial defense prime contractors, MSMEs, and technology start-ups, the Ministry of Defence is accelerating the transfer of advanced RF engineering skills into the broader industrial base.

Developing a complex evaluation platform like SHIELD requires expertise spanning high-frequency power electronics, digital signal control, automated test sequencing, high-voltage power distribution, and thermal fluid dynamics. Partnering with private industry allows DRDO to streamline the development timeline while establishing an accessible commercial testing infrastructure. Furthermore, domestic ownership of the SHIELD platform ensures that proprietary vulnerability data for critical Indian weapons systems remains strictly within secure domestic channels. This localized testing ecosystem lowers development overhead for domestic equipment manufacturers, who can evaluate and certify their subsystems against stringent military electromagnetic compatibility and directed-energy standards without sending hardware abroad.

Advancing India's Defense Test Infrastructure Ecosystem

As directed-energy weapons and electronic warfare systems continue to redefine global security dynamics, establishing robust, indigenous testing facilities is indispensable for national defense preparedness. Programs such as DRDO’s SHIELD initiative demonstrate that building state-of-the-art defense hardware requires an equally sophisticated ecosystem of high-precision simulation rigs, environmental control systems, automated measurement equipment, and robust power conditioning units. The integration of advanced solid-state electronics with high-capacity cooling and precise automated controls highlights the multidisciplinary nature of modern defense engineering.

Engineering specialized evaluation systems like SHIELD relies heavily on robust, high-integrity test infrastructure capable of managing precise environmental inputs, high operational pressures, and critical cooling cycles. Neometrix Defence Limited specializes in designing and manufacturing custom test benches, automated test equipment, high-pressure fluid systems, and specialized ground support infrastructure that empower Indian engineering enterprises to achieve complete self-reliance in defense and industrial testing.