GUWAHATI: India entered an elite group of countries with the successful trial of a homegrown 30-kilowatt Laser-Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The high-energy weapon was tested at the National Open Air Range (NOAR) in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, where it successfully neutralised aerial threats including fixed-wing drones.
ALSO READ: Mehbooba Mufti Demands MEA Intervention Over Saudi Arabia’s Drastic 80% Cut In India’s Hajj Quota
The Mk-II(A) version of the laser weapon, mounted on a vehicle, demonstrated its ability to track and destroy targets using its integrated Electro-Optic (EO) system and radar. During the trial, a Chinese-origin drone, reportedly operated by the Pakistan Army, was tracked and destroyed by a focused laser beam. The DRDO stated that the system caused structural damage to the drone and disabled its surveillance sensors.
With this successful demonstration, India joins a select group of nations including the United States, Russia, China, and Israel that have either developed or are in the process of developing similar laser-based weapons. The weapon system was developed by DRDO’s Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences (CHESS) and is supported by the Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction System, which currently operates on a 2-kilowatt laser platform.
DRDO officials stated that the laser system is capable of targeting threats within a range of five kilometres and can also jam communication and satellite signals. DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat described the test as the “beginning of the journey” in the field of high-energy weapons. He acknowledged that only a few countries have demonstrated such capabilities, placing India among the top five globally.
