‘Bhargavastra’: India’s New Low-Cost Drone Swarm Killer Successfully Conducts Salvo, Single-Rocket Trials

An indigenous low-cost counter drone system in hard-kill mode has been successfully tested on Tuesday (13 May).

Desigend and developed by Nagpur-based Solar Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL), the 'Bhargavastra' system marks a substantial leap in countering the escalating threat of drone swarms.

The micro rockets used in this counter-drone system underwent rigorous testing at the Seaward Firing Range, Gopalpur achieving all designated objectives, news agency ANI reported.

On 13 May, three rocket trials were carried out in the presence of senior Army Air Defence (AAD) officials—two single-shot and one salvo of two rockets fired within two seconds.

All four rockets hit expected benchmarks, highlighting Bhargavastra’s potential in large-scale drone neutralisation.

Bhargavastra offers a layered UAV defence strategy—using unguided micro rockets for swarm attacks up to 2.5 km with a 20-metre kill radius, and a second layer of previously tested guided micro-missiles for precision strikes.

Designed for seamless deployment across diverse terrains, including high-altitude regions (greater than 5000 m above sea level), the system addresses the unique operational demands of India's armed forces.

The modular design of the system allows optional soft-kill additions like jamming and spoofing, enabling a complete, adaptable defence solution suitable for all service branches.

Further, the system is also engineered for seamless integration with existing network-centric warfare infrastructure.

Equipped with a sophisticated Command-and-Control Centre featuring advanced C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence) technology, the system's radar can detect minute aerial threats from 6 to 10 km away.

The integrated EO/IR sensors enable accurate tracking and classification of low radar cross-section drones, enhancing Bhargavastra’s target identification capabilities.

This development comes as India had neutralised hundreds of drones sent by Pakistan to target Indian military and civilian assets, after Indian Armed Forces struck terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoJK, killing over 100 terrorists.

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