India To Manufacture US Guardian Anti-Drone Systems Under Paras Defense Deal

NEW DELHI-US-origin counter-drone technology is entering India’s defense manufacturing ecosystem at a time when the armed forces are developing requirements for systems capable of physically intercepting hostile unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), a report has said.

As per an analysis by The Sunday Guardian, US-based Powerus has granted Paras Defense & Space Technologies exclusive rights to manufacture and commercialize its Guardian interceptor family in India under an agreement disclosed in Powerus’ filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The agreement, executed through Powerus subsidiary Tandem Defense LLC, gives Paras Defense exclusive rights to manufacture and commercialize Guardian interceptor products in India in return for a license fee and a share of net profits from domestic sales, the report said.

However, the arrangement does not imply that the Guardian interceptor has been selected by the Indian military. Any induction into service would still be subject to the government’s standard evaluation and procurement processes.

In February, the Indian Army issued a request for information (RFI) for up to 45 drone interception systems and 50 drone catcher systems for deployment across plains, deserts and high-altitude areas, according to the report.

The system is required to counter low-radar-cross-section drones through kinetic means, including direct impact or proximity detonation, it said.

The Indian Army also issued a GeM tender earlier this month for the development of an AI-enabled high-speed interceptor UAV for counter-drone operations, while the Indian Air Force has sought indigenous solutions capable of detecting, tracking and neutralizing hostile drones.

“Powerus describes Guardian-1 and the upgraded Guardian-2 as low-cost, high-speed counter drone interceptor platforms designed to defeat hostile unmanned aerial threats at scale,” according to the report.

Powerus has said the technology originated through a partnership formed to commercialize autonomous defense technologies developed in Ukraine and owned by G1 Exploration, it added.

The Paras Defence-Powerus agreement provides a pathway for local manufacturing and commercialization of the foreign-origin counter-drone system in India as the Indian Army and Indian Air Force pursue kinetic solutions to counter evolving drone threats. (IANS)