Indian Navy has signed contract with Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Limited (BEL) for supply of the first indigenous comprehensive Naval Anti Drone System (NADS) with both hard kill and soft kill capabilities in New Delhi on August 31, 2021. The contract was signed in the presence of senior Naval officers and the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) representatives. Indian Navy has provided consistent support and has led in the joint development of the anti-drone system with DRDO and BEL. The NADS, developed by DRDO and manufactured by BEL, is the first indigenously developed anti-drone system to be inducted into the Indian Armed Forces.
It will be an effective all-encompassing counter to the increased drone threat to strategic naval installations. The anti-drone system was first deployed to provide security cover for the Republic Day Parade this year and later during the Prime Minister’s Independence Day Address to the Nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort. The system, which offers 360-degree coverage, was also deployed in Ahmedabad for the Modi-Trump roadshow. The NADS uses the help of Radar, Electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors and Radio Frequency (RF) detectors to detect and jam the micro drones. Both the static and mobile versions of NADS will be supplied to the Indian Navy within a short time from the signing of contract.
Multiple Units of BEL, namely Bangaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Machilipatanam; and DRDO Labs, namely Electronics & Radar Development Establishment (LRDE), Bangaluru;Defence Electronics Research Laboratory (DLRL) and Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences (CHESS), Hyderabadand Instruments Research & Development Establishment (IRDE) Dehradun; in close collaboration with the Indian Navy, were involved in the making of this fully indigenous system, as part of the Atmanirbar Bharat initiative to counter drone threats of adversaries. The NADS can instantly detect and jam micro drones and use a laser-based kill mechanism to terminate targets.
Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) is an Indian Government-owned aerospace and defence electronics company. It primarily manufactures advanced electronic products for ground and aerospace applications. BEL is one of nine PSUs under the Ministry of Defence of India. It has been granted Navratna status by the Government of India. Bharat Electronics Limited was founded in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India in 1954. Starting with the manufacture of a few communication equipment in 1956, BEL started producing receiving valves in 1961, germanium semiconductors in 1962 and radio transmitters for AIR in 1964. In addition, new products and technologies including software defined radios, next generation bulk encryptor and high data tactical radio were also on show.
