Indian Navy awards HPM system integration contract to Tonbo Imaging under ADITI 3.0

The Indian Navy has commissioned Tonbo Imaging to develop and integrate High Power Microwave (HPM) systems. This initiative, part of the ADITI 3.0 framework, aims to bolster maritime directed-energy capabilities against electronic threats and drone swarms while advancing domestic defense manufacturing and intellectual property.

The Indian Navy has formalised a contract with Tonbo Imaging for the integration and commissioning of High Power Microwave (HPM) technology on naval vessels. Operating under the Advanced Defence Technology Incubation (ADITI 3.0) framework, the project is supported by the Ministry of Defence’s iDEX and the Defence Innovation Organisation.

This development is significant as HPM systems provide a non-kinetic solution for neutralising adversary sensors and unmanned aerial vehicles. Unlike conventional solid-state sources, the project utilizes vacuum tube technologies capable of generating the extreme peak power necessary for maritime target coupling. By securing this contract, Tonbo Imaging transitions from a component supplier to a full-spectrum defense systems integrator, holding critical proprietary rights over vacuum tube architectures.

For the maritime defense sector, this shift toward directed-energy weapons (DEWs) addresses the rising threat of asymmetric warfare and drone swarms in the Indo-Pacific. The move signals a strategic pivot by the Indian government to prioritize indigenous electronic warfare capabilities over foreign acquisitions.

Investors and stakeholders should monitor this as a benchmark for India’s self-reliance in high-energy physics applications, likely paving the way for broader adoption of electromagnetic spectrum dominance tools across other military branches.

Tonbo Imaging, a Bengaluru-based specialist in electro-optics and imaging systems, will oversee the system’s evolution from validation to large-scale production.