India Joins Elite Group of Countries with Laser Weapon Capabilities
India has become a member of an exclusive group of countries, including Russia, the United States and China, that possess the ability to deploy high-energy laser weapons to neutralize drones and other airborne threats. Government officials confirmed this information.
On Sunday, the state-owned Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) showcased its domestically developed Laser Guided Energy Weapon System (DEW) Mk-II(A). The test was conducted at the National Open Air Range (NOAR) in Kurnool, a southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
“Within seconds, the system’s rapid deployment, accuracy and lethality make it the most powerful anti-drone system” DRDO stated in a press release.
According to DRDO officials speaking to news agency ANI, the system uses a 30-kilowatt laser beam to detect and destroy various targets with high speed and precision, including fixed-wing drones, swarm drones, surveillance sensors and antennas.
The Mk-II(A) system was developed by the Center for High Energy Systems and Sciences (CHESS) in Hyderabad in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories, as well as academic institutions and the Indian industry. It features an electro-optical and infrared sensor (EO/IR) that enables precise detection of airborne threats.
The system has a range of five kilometers and is equipped with advanced electronic warfare capabilities, including interference with communication and satellite signals, allowing it to effectively neutralize airborne targets.
DRDO Chairman, Dr. Samir V Kamat, explained to ANI that India has joined the ranks of the United States, Russia and China in demonstrating a laser weapon system. Israel is currently working on a similar technology.
Kamat emphasized that this achievement is just the first step towards achieving a greater goal. He mentioned that DRDO is developing other advanced technologies, including high-energy microwaves and electromagnetic pulses. The aim is to develop capabilities like those seen in “Star Wars” and the showcased laser system is just a part of that.
Last week, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said that drones have become a new type of weapon, almost a transformative science, in the Ukraine conflict. “The majority of losses in terms of soldiers and equipment were not attributed to traditional artillery or armored weapons, but to drones.”
“Similarly, capabilities in the low, near-Earth orbit are transforming military reconnaissance, surveillance, positioning, targeting and communication, elevating battles to a new level” the Hindustan Times quoted Singh.
DRDO is currently working on developing an even more advanced laser system called Surya, which will have a 300-kilowatt laser beam and a range of more than 20 kilometers. This next-generation weapon is being developed to counter airborne threats with high speed, including rockets and unmanned aerial systems, according to officials.