Indian Navy awards ADITI 3.0 contract to Tonbo Imaging for High Power Microwave system

Mumbai: Defence technology firm Tonbo Imaging has secured a contract from the Indian Navy under the ADITI 3.0 innovation framework for the integration and commissioning of a High Power Microwave (HPM) system for naval platforms, marking a significant step in the country’s indigenous directed-energy weapons programme.

The initiative is being supported by Innovations for Defence Excellence ( iDEX) and the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) under the Ministry of Defence. Under the contract, Tonbo Imaging will undertake system integration and commissioning activities, followed by the supply of multiple production units after successful development, validation and operational acceptance.

High Power Microwave systems are regarded as strategically significant directed-energy capabilities and are currently possessed by only a limited number of countries. Such systems provide a non-kinetic method of disabling or degrading enemy electronics, sensors and unmanned systems by using concentrated electromagnetic energy instead of conventional ammunition.

Defence experts believe HPM systems are emerging as one of the most effective technologies for countering drone swarms and other asymmetric threats, especially in modern maritime warfare scenarios where electronic and unmanned systems play an increasingly dominant role.

Officials said the Indian Navy’s continued investment in advanced electromagnetic spectrum technologies reflects its long-term focus on next-generation deterrence capabilities and future battlefield preparedness.

ADITI, or Advanced Defence Technology Incubation, is a Government of India initiative aimed at supporting the development, validation and integration of advanced indigenous defence technologies before their operational induction into the armed forces.

The selection of Tonbo Imaging under ADITI 3.0 is viewed as part of the broader push toward strengthening self-reliance in critical defence technologies under India’s defence modernisation programme.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Tonbo Imaging India Ltd Arvind Lakshmikumar described the programme as a major technological and operational responsibility.

“This programme represents a significant responsibility to execute complex capability integration with discipline, rigour and clear alignment to end-user operational requirements,” Lakshmikumar said.

He stated that Tonbo Imaging had invested heavily over the past several years in the indigenous development of key building blocks required for High Power Microwave technology, including critical sub-systems and vacuum tube-based power sources.

“We are among the very few private organisations in India to possess core intellectual property in vacuum tube technologies, which are fundamental to operational HPM systems,” he said.

According to Lakshmikumar, vacuum tube-based sources remain the most practical and effective solution for High Power Microwave applications because they are capable of generating extremely high peak power and energy levels necessary for operational deployment.

He explained that while solid-state radio frequency systems are useful for several RF applications, they currently cannot generate the peak power and pulse energy levels required for operational HPM systems within practical limits of size, weight and efficiency.

The development is also seen as a significant milestone in Tonbo Imaging’s evolution from an electro-optics and imaging company into a broader defence technology and systems integration enterprise.

Industry observers noted that the project highlights the company’s growing involvement in advanced electronics, embedded software, mission systems and emerging directed-energy technologies, sectors considered critical for future warfare capabilities.

The contract further underlines the Indian Navy’s increasing emphasis on indigenous innovation, advanced electronic warfare systems and strategic technologies capable of addressing rapidly evolving security challenges in the maritime domain.