India has awarded contracts worth 2.89 billion rupees (about $32.5 million) to Hyderabad-based Zen Technologies to upgrade its counter-drone systems. The upgrades are expected to be completed within a year and are based on operational lessons drawn from recent frontline engagements, including Operation Sindoor.
The upgrade effort focuses on improving both the hardware and software resilience of India’s existing anti-drone systems. According to Zen Technologies, the aim is to strengthen defenses against two growing threat areas: physical compromise of system components and software-level attacks, such as malware infiltration.
India’s defense establishment has increasingly highlighted cyber vulnerabilities in air defense networks, citing incidents such as Stuxnet and the 2024 pager attacks in Lebanon, which demonstrated the strategic risks of supply chain and software compromise.
Zen Technologies’ Managing Director and Chairman Ashok Atluri said the enhancements reflect the need for domestic solutions tailored to India’s operational environment:
“Buying Indian-designed, developed and manufactured products is not an option, it’s a requirement for survival as drone and cyber threats keep evolving,” Atluri said.
A key factor in the decision to rely on local systems rather than imported technology is adaptability. Indian officials have expressed concerns that foreign suppliers cannot always share full software access or system modification rights due to export controls and vendor restrictions, limitations that could hinder battlefield updates.
Delivery of the upgraded systems is scheduled to begin within 12 months.
POWIĄZANE TREŚCI: Indian Army to procure indigenous counter-drone grid
Źródło zdjęcia: Karl Greif Przez Unsplash
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