Defence technology company Zen Technologies Ltd has unveiled India’s first indigenous high-altitude Man-Portable Anti-Drone System (MPADS), designed to protect troops operating in mountainous and remote terrains against the growing threat of hostile drones.
The company chose Kargil Vijay Diwas to launch the new system, saying it honours the courage and sacrifice of the Indian Armed Forces while addressing one of the most pressing challenges in modern warfare, the increasing deployment of drones in high-altitude battlefields.
Built for mountain warfare
The lightweight, indigenous counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) has been engineered for rapid deployment in difficult terrain where conventional vehicle-mounted anti-drone systems are often impractical.
The portable system combines advanced radio frequency (RF) detection, intelligent data fusion and omni-directional jamming in a compact configuration, enabling troops to detect, track and neutralise hostile drones in challenging operational environments.
It can be carried by soldiers on foot or transported using pack animals, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), making it suitable for operations across mountainous and remote regions.
Key capabilities
According to the company, the high-altitude MPADS offers drone detection ranges of up to 5 km through continuous wideband RF scanning across the 400 MHz to 6 GHz spectrum, omni-directional jamming capability of up to 3 km, disrupting both drone command links and GNSS signals and has the ability to detect multiple drones and swarm attacks simultaneously. It is capable of 24×7 all-weather operation based on indigenous technology architecture.
Advanced detection technology
At the core of the system is Zen Technologies’ RF-Based Drone Detector (RFDD), which uses Correlative Interferometry and Digital Beamforming technologies to accurately determine the direction of hostile drones.
The detector is integrated with a Data Fusion & Command Centre (DFCC) that consolidates sensor inputs into a unified tactical picture, allowing operators to monitor threat zones, classify aerial threats, analyse spectrum activity and make rapid engagement decisions.
Boost to indigenous defence ecosystem
Zen Technologies said the growing use of drones in high-altitude and contested border areas has made portable counter-drone systems an essential requirement for frontline force protection.
The company believes the new solution will strengthen India’s indigenous defence ecosystem by providing a scalable and rapidly deployable capability for the armed forces to counter aerial threats across diverse operational scenarios.
Headquartered in Hyderabad, Zen Technologies specialises in defence training systems and anti-drone solutions. The company has over 30 years of experience, has filed more than 200 patents, and has supplied over 10,000 defence systems worldwide.