India develops ‘Star Wars’-style laser weapon to destroy drones, missiles, joins elite list | WATCH
India News: In the trials, the indigenously designed and developed Mk-II(A) DEW system successfully engaged fixed-wing drones at long range, thwarted a multiple drone attack, and destroyed enemy surveillance sensors and antennae.
In a major boost to the country's defence technology upgradation, India successfully demonstrated its capability to destroy fixed-wing aircraft, missiles, and swarm drones using a 30-kilowatt laser-based weapon system.
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) officials tested the 30-kilowatt laser-based directed-energy weapon (DEW) in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, successfully. With this technology, India joins the elite list of countries like the United States, China and Russia having advanced laser weapon capabilities.
In the trials, the indigenously designed and developed Mk-II(A) DEW system successfully engaged fixed-wing drones at long range, thwarted a multiple drone attack, and destroyed enemy surveillance sensors and antennae.
DRDO developed this directed-energy weapon (DEW), which is now ready for production and deployment across various military platforms.
DRDO chairman Dr Samir V Kamat said, “This is just the beginning of the journey. The synergy that this lab has achieved with other DRDO labs, industry and academia, I am sure we will reach our destination soon.”
“We are also working on other high energy systems like high energy microwaves, electromagnetic pulse. So we are working on a number of technologies that will give us Star Wars capability. What you saw today was one of the components of Star Wars technologies,” he added.
“As far as I know, it is the United States, Russia and China that have demonstrated this capability. Israel is also working on similar capabilities, I would say we are the fourth or fifth country in the world to demonstrate this system,” Kamat said.
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The 30-kilowatt laser weapon system can destroy aerial threats like drones and helicopters in a range of 5 kilometers. It features advanced electronic warfare capabilities, including jamming communication and satellite signals.
The system is equipped with a 360-degree Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensor for precise targeting and can be rapidly deployed via air, rail, road, or sea.
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Dr BK Das, Director General (Electronics & Communication System) DRDO, said: “For the first time, we are showing a technology in use and its devastation. This shows how far we are going in our technology maturity... What you saw is a completely indigenous product of many DRDO laboratories working in synergy with startups, academic institutions and industries. We are confident that we are going to reach high power very soon... We are planning to deploy similar systems with slight modifications on ships to prove the capability.”
Dr Jagannath Nayak, director of the Centre for High Energy System, and Sciences (CHESS), DRDO, said, “Whatever we have achieved today is a great success. This is one of the new and emerging weapon systems.”
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DRDO is also developing more powerful systems with an operational range of 20 kilometres to target high-speed aerial threats like missiles and unmanned aerial systems.
The increased use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) worldwide has created the demand for advanced anti-drone technologies.
(With inputs from agencies)
