By Rishabh Madhavendra Pratap
In a significant step towards strengthening India’s naval preparedness, Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), a leading defence PSU under the Ministry of Defence, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Pentagon Rugged Systems India Limited to collaboratively develop advanced anti-drone and secure long-range communication systems for Indian naval vessels. The strategic partnership, formalised on July 5 in Visakhapatnam, aims to address the escalating threats posed by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in maritime domains. The indigenous anti-drone systems planned under this MoU will offer naval platforms the ability to detect, track, and neutralise hostile drones in real-time at distances up to 30 km. Equipped with advanced jamming capabilities covering the 400 MHz to 6 GHz spectrum, the system ensures effective neutralisation of aerial threats while avoiding collateral damage. Furthermore, the collaboration includes developing resilient Long-Range Non-Line-of-Sight (NLOS) communication systems, critical for naval missions in complex maritime and coastal environments. Highlighting the significance of this development, Commodore Hemant Khatri, Chairman and Managing Director of HSL, stated, “This MoU represents a key milestone towards achieving Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence. Our cooperation with Pentagon Rugged Systems will not only enhance the operational readiness of our naval platforms but also encourage indigenous technological innovation.” Dr. Swaminathan Manikandan, Managing Director of Pentagon Rugged Systems India, emphasised their commitment to the partnership, noting, “We take pride in collaborating with HSL to provide robust, mission-critical anti-drone solutions designed specifically for maritime security.” Integration trials of the technology are set to begin next quarter, with subsequent deployment on frontline naval vessels expected soon thereafter.