DRDO has developed indigenous GaN tech for next-gen radars, electronic warfare: Def min report
A Ministry of Defence report has confirmed that the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has indigenously developed Gallium Nitride (GaN) Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) technology for next-generation radars and electronic warfare systems.
DRDO's Solid State Physics Laboratory (SSPL) has developed indigenous processes to grow and manufacture 4-inch-diameter Silicon Carbide (SiC) wafers and to fabricate GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs) rated up to 150 watts, along with MMICs rated up to 40 watts for frequencies extending to the X-band.
Indigenously fabricated S-band GaN HEMT power bars, power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, and switch MMICs have been designed, fabricated, and demonstrated.
Limited-scale indigenous production of GaN-on-SiC MMICs has been established at the Gallium Arsenide Enabling Technology Centre (GAETEC) in Hyderabad, supporting applications in strategic systems, space, aerospace, and 5G/satellite communication.
The development places India among a small group of countries with demonstrated capability in high-frequency, high-power compound-semiconductor chip design and fabrication for defence use.
Gallium Nitride (GaN) and MMIC Technology
Gallium Nitride is a wide-bandgap compound semiconductor that, unlike conventional silicon, can operate at much higher voltages, frequencies, and temperatures while dissipating less heat. A Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) is an integrated circuit that operates at microwave/radio frequencies, combining functions such as power amplification, low-noise amplification, mixing, and switching on a single chip. GaN-based MMICs deliver substantially higher power density than older gallium-arsenide (GaAs) or silicon-based chips, allowing more power to be packed into a smaller, lighter component.
Key Details
- GaN's wider bandgap allows it to handle roughly ten times the electrical current of silicon at similar physical size, with markedly lower energy loss as heat.
- DRDO-developed GaN chips (reported at roughly 3.5 mm x 3 mm) can deliver up to 30 watts of power while switching at speeds cited as around 300 times faster than silicon-based chips.
- Only a small number of countries — led by the United States and China, with others including Japan and some European nations — have demonstrated full indigenous capability across GaN wafer growth, HEMT fabrication, and MMIC design/production.
- DRDO's relevant units include the Solid State Physics Laboratory (SSPL), New Delhi, and GAETEC, Hyderabad, both DRDO laboratories working on compound-semiconductor fabrication.
The Defence Ministry report frames this indigenous GaN/MMIC capability as a strategic milestone because it removes India's dependence on imported high-frequency chips for defence electronics — components that are subject to export controls by supplier countries.
AESA Radar and Electronic Warfare Fundamentals
An Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar uses a large number of small transmit/receive (T/R) modules, each independently generating and steering a radar beam electronically rather than mechanically. This gives AESA radars faster scanning, better resistance to jamming, and the ability to track multiple targets simultaneously. Electronic Warfare (EW) covers military actions using the electromagnetic spectrum, broadly divided into Electronic Attack (jamming/deception), Electronic Protection (defending own systems from jamming), and Electronic Support (intercepting and analysing enemy emissions).
Key Details
- Each T/R module in an AESA radar needs a compact, efficient power amplifier — the exact role played by GaN MMICs, which is why GaN is considered a key enabling technology for modern AESA systems.
- GaN-based amplifiers used in radars are reported to be several times more powerful than equivalent silicon or GaAs-based components at the same size.
- India's indigenous AESA radar programmes include the Uttam AESA radar (for the Tejas fighter) developed by DRDO's Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE).
- EW systems (jammers, electronic countermeasure suites) similarly rely on high-power, high-frequency amplifiers to generate effective jamming signals across contested frequency bands.
The GaN MMICs developed by DRDO are described as feeding directly into next-generation radar and EW systems, meaning the underlying chip breakthrough has a direct payoff for indigenous AESA radar and jammer programmes rather than being a standalone laboratory achievement.
Defence Indigenization and the DRDO-DPSU Ecosystem
Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence refers to India's policy push to reduce import dependence in military hardware through indigenous design, development, and production. DRDO, under the Ministry of Defence, is the apex defence R&D agency operating a network of laboratories (such as SSPL, LRDE, and GAETEC) that develop technology later transferred to production partners — Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) such as Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), or private industry — under DRDO's technology transfer mechanism.
Key Details
- The Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 gives preference to indigenous design, development, and manufacture (IDDM) category procurement over imported platforms.
- Semiconductor and chip self-reliance is treated as a strategic priority because high-end RF/microwave chips have historically been subject to export licensing restrictions by supplier nations, creating potential supply bottlenecks during conflict or sanctions.
- Technology developed at DRDO labs is typically transferred to DPSUs or private firms for scaled manufacturing, which is the pathway through which laboratory-stage GaN MMIC capability would move toward serial production for radar/EW systems.
The Ministry of Defence report explicitly frames the GaN breakthrough within the broader indigenization narrative, positioning chip-level self-reliance as foundational to India's ability to indigenously produce next-generation radar and electronic warfare platforms without relying on imported high-frequency semiconductor components.
- DRDO's Solid State Physics Laboratory (SSPL): indigenous 4-inch SiC wafer growth; GaN HEMTs up to 150 W; MMICs up to 40 W, extending to X-band frequencies.
- Reported indigenous GaN chip: approximately 3.5 mm x 3 mm, up to 30 W power output, switching speed cited as ~300 times faster than silicon.
- GAETEC (Gallium Arsenide Enabling Technology Centre), Hyderabad: site of limited-scale indigenous GaN-on-SiC MMIC production.
- AESA radar reference: Uttam AESA radar, developed by DRDO's LRDE for the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft.
- Applications cited: next-generation radars, electronic warfare jammers, satellite communication, 5G, and strategic/space systems.