India’s private defense major VEM Technologies has made significant progress in the development of indigenous ‘Slingshot Anti-Drone System’. This system is being developed to deal with the rapidly increasing drone threats in modern warfare and is considered a major step towards increasing self-reliance in the defense sector in line with India’s Self-reliant India initiative.
Hyderabad-based VEM Technologies was established in 1988 and has today become a leading hub for the design and production of advanced aerospace, surveillance and aerial systems. The company has more than 900 experts working on research, development and integration of defense systems.
New system ready to deal with drone threat
The ‘Slingshot’ anti-drone system has been designed to detect suspicious or enemy drones, track them and deactivate them when required. This system is being developed to effectively respond to the threat posed by low-cost drone strikes in modern warfare.
Artificial intelligence based solutions, radar and electro-optical sensors have been used in this system. Through this, two types of actions will be possible –
- soft kill:Disabling drones through jamming and electronic interference.
- hard kill: Direct destruction of drones through kinetic interception. Able to cover a distance of approximately 6 km for kinetic interception.
This system works against low-RCS drones up to a distance of 20 km. Even stabilized EO/IR payloads with MWIR, CCD cameras and laser range finders can be tracked by the sensors. Equipped with RF direction finder to locate the drone communication link up to 15 km. It can protect against all types of mini, micro and swarm drones.
VEM’s other defense projects
Apart from the Slingshot project, the company is also working on many other defense systems. These include a man-portable anti-tank guided missile named ‘AsiBal’, which has ‘fire-and-forget’ capability and which is currently in field trials.
Apart from this, ‘Vismai’ missile has been developed for helicopter, UAV and drone platforms. Whereas ‘Ajita Air Defense System’ acts as an integrated network of sensors, missiles and launchers, while ‘Vidhvams’ (Vidhwams) is a long-range guided rocket system, whose strike range is said to be about 250 kilometers.
demonstrated in aero india
At the Aero India 2025 held in Bengaluru, the company showcased its indigenous Ajita-SR and Ajita-LR surface-to-air missile systems. These systems have radars providing 360 degree coverage, fast response time and the ability to engage targets with low radar signature.
Construction of new testing facility
The company is also developing an Integrated Defense Systems Facility for testing advanced weapon systems. In this modern complex, the entire process of prototyping, testing and verification of weapon systems can be done at one place.
Under the leadership of company founder and chairman V. Venkata Raju, VEM is working closely with several defense research organizations. The company is also collaborating on Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) related projects and developing power systems for India’s advanced combat aircraft program Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
According to experts, the indigenous Slingshot system can play an important role in the security of important targets like border areas, airports and military bases. Due to its modular design, it can also be installed on mobile platforms, allowing quick deployment at borders and urban areas.
Amidst the rapidly growing drone threats, indigenous systems like Slingshot can prove important in strengthening India’s multi-layered air defense system. Defense analysts believe that such private sector technology initiatives will accelerate India’s military modernization process as well as strengthen national security.
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