India Showcases Laser Weapon to Shoot Down Drones, Demonstrates ‘Star Wars’-Like Capability | Watch Video

India Showcases Laser Weapon to Shoot Down Drones: With this effect, India today added its name on the bright pages of history and joined the elite club of nations including the US, China and Russia to field a high-energy 30-kilowatt laser beam that can shoot down both fixed-wing and swarm drones.

The successful trial of the Mk-II(A) Laser-directed Energy Weapon (DEW) system was exhibited at the National Open Air Range (NOAR), Kurnool in mastering the technology of codeword-missile-drone and small scale projectile clearance as Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) officials told ANI here.

With success, India has entered an exclusive and very small club of nations which possesses high-power Laser-DEW.

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#WATCH | Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh: For the first time, India has showcased its capability to shoot down fixed-wing aircraft, missiles and swarm drones using a 30-kilowatt laser-based weapon system. India has joined list of selected countries, including the US, China, and Russia,… pic.twitter.com/fjGHmqH8N4

— ANI (@ANI) April 13, 2025

Speaking with ANI, DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat said, "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 that this is just the "beginning of the journey," adding that many technologies are coming from DRDO "that will give us Star Wars capability."

"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," Kamat said.

Indigenously designed and developed Mk-II(A) DEW system was demonstrated in its full spectrum of capability through engaging the fixed-wing drones at long distance, countering a multiple drone attack, and eliminating enemy surveillance sensors and antennae.

The Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences (CHESS) here in Hyderabad created the system in collaboration with the Laser Research and Development Establishment (LRDE) and the Instruments Research and Development Establishment (IRDE) with the Defence Laboratory Research and Development Establishment.

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Once detected by either a radar or through its inbuilt Electro Optic (EO) system laser-DEW can shoot through its targets at the speed of light and now uses an intense beam of powerful light (Laser Beam) to cut through the target causing its structure to fail or produce more damaging results in case the warhead is struck. This type of cutting-edge weapons will be disruptive in changing the whole battlespace scenario by transforming wars from macro-economic expensive ammunition dependence to a greater degree freedom from collateral damage.

Demand for the weapons is growing in view of the rising emergence of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and the drone swarms that feature as asymmetric threats. As such, the DEW will be replacing the traditional kinetic weapon and missile defense systems shortly because of ease of operation and cost-effectiveness for the same.

The cost-effective solution is becoming increasingly important for defense organizations across the world since it offsets the offenses by the low-cost drone. The cost of firing it for a few seconds is equivalent to the cost of a couple of litres of petrol for it; hence, it should be a long-term, low-cost option for taking out the target.

Meanwhile, the demonstration of the DEW System in action was attended by Secretary DDR&D and Chairman, DRDO. He congratulated the team of DRDO and observed that induction of DEW Mk-II(A) into services would also strengthen their layered air defense capability . Present during the trial were the Director General (ECS), along with the Directors and other officers of the DRDO Labs.

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