Zen Technologies Bags ₹37 Crore MoD Contract for Anti-Drone Systems with Hard-Kill Capability

India Defense

Zen Technologies Bags ₹37 Crore MoD Contract for Anti-Drone Systems with Hard-Kill Capability

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded a contract to Hyderabad-based Zen Technologies Limited for the supply of indigenous anti-drone systems equipped with hard-kill capability. While some reports suggest the deal value is around ₹37 crore, no official filing confirms that figure. In recent years, Zen Technologies has signed several larger orders with the MoD for counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS), including a ₹227.65 crore contract in September 2023 and another ₹155 crore order from the Indian Air Force in 2021. The new agreement continues the government’s effort to strengthen India’s domestic defence manufacturing base and to enhance counter-drone preparedness across the armed forces.

 

Zen Technologies has developed its anti-drone systems entirely in-house, building on more than three decades of experience in defence simulation and sensor technologies. The system, known as the Zen Anti-Drone System (ZADS) or Zen ADS-HK, is designed to detect, track, and neutralize hostile drones using both electronic and kinetic methods. It integrates multiple sensors, including radio frequency (RF) detectors, radars, and electro-optical/infrared cameras, to identify aerial threats in real time. The information from these sensors is processed through a centralized Data Fusion and Command Centre, which classifies the target and determines the most effective response.

 

The soft-kill component of the system uses radio frequency jammers to disrupt drone communication links and navigation signals. These jammers can simultaneously target multiple frequency bands, including ISM, GNSS, and mobile signals, effectively grounding or redirecting hostile drones. For cases where electronic jamming is insufficient, the system includes a hard-kill option. This capability allows the use of a kinetic weapon—typically a gun integrated with the targeting system—to physically destroy the drone. In certain configurations, the system can also deploy a drone catcher that uses a net to capture and neutralize the target safely. The Army Air Defence College in Gopalpur received the Zen ADS-HK variant in mid-2024, marking the beginning of its operational fielding.

 

According to available technical information, Zen’s anti-drone system can detect drones at a range of about five kilometres and jam them up to four kilometres, depending on their size and flight altitude. The system’s electro-optical tracking unit combines a day camera, thermal imager, and laser rangefinder for precise target tracking under all weather conditions. The modular architecture allows the system to be mounted on vehicles or fixed sites, making it suitable for deployment at airbases, border locations, or high-security installations.

 

The procurement of indigenous counter-drone systems reflects the growing importance of defending against small and swarm UAV threats. Incidents such as the drone attack on the Jammu Air Force Station in 2021 demonstrated the vulnerability of critical military sites to low-cost aerial threats. The inclusion of hard-kill features makes the Zen system more effective against drones that are resistant to jamming or operate autonomously without a live communication link.

 

Zen Technologies’ success in this field underscores India’s progress toward self-reliance in advanced defence technology under the “Make in India” initiative. The anti-drone system project also supports the broader objective of equipping the armed forces with layered, modular, and scalable defence solutions to counter evolving aerial threats. Even though the precise value of the latest MoD contract remains unverified, its implementation marks another step toward strengthening India’s domestic capability to safeguard military and strategic infrastructure against emerging drone-based threats.

✍️ This article is written by the team of The Defense News.

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