DRDO To Soon Deploy Indigenous D4 System To Safeguard Cities Against Rogue Drones

An indigenous counter-drone solution, D4 (Drone Detect, Deter, Destroy) developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will soon be deployed at vital installations in urban areas against rogue drone attacks. 

About The Indigenous Counter-Drone Solution

The indigenous integrated counter-drone solution is designed to detect and neutralize rogue unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with precision. The D4 system can instantly detect and jam micro drones (Soft kill) and use a laser-based kill mechanism to terminate targets (Hard kill) from a distance of up to 3 kms. 

“The interceptor drones would autonomously engage rogue UAVs mid-flight, is designed to adapt to terrains, threat levels, and operational environments with speed, precision, and non-collateral impact,” confirmed a senior DRDO scientist. 

According to DRDO, the D4 system is a multi-sensor, multi-kill solution that can detect, track, and neutralize small drones flying at low altitudes, especially in cluttered environments is equipped with Radio-frequency (RF) detection, Radar and electro-optical tracking, AI-powered threat classification, Electronic jamming and spoofing, Hard-kill and soft-kill neutralization amongst other tech innovations. 

The D4 system is already deployed at forward bases to monitor infiltrations and drone drops, strategic installations like ammunition dumps, airbases, and communications hubs, Border Out Posts (BOP) to detect cross-border trafficking and recon drones by the multiple security agencies. 

“The Indian Army has introduced seven new indigenous drone-detection and interdiction systems (IDD&IS) along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. The anti-drone systems can jam enemy drones and use lasers to eliminate them, with a detection range of 5 to 8 km,” explained a senior flag officer of the Indian Army. 

The new generation D4 systems for deployment in urban centres will include integration with facial and payload recognition for identifying hostile targets, 5G jamming modules, and portable D4 lite variants for VIP protection.