Drones have transformed modern air warfare by creating a cost imbalance that increasingly favours the attacker. Relatively inexpensive drones can be launched in large numbers to conduct reconnaissance, locate air-defence positions and strike military installations, Times of India
reported.
This creates a situation in which defenders may be forced to expend costly interceptor missiles against targets that are far cheaper to produce and deploy.
To address this challenge, militaries around the world are investing in high-energy laser weapons capable of engaging aerial threats at the speed of light while significantly reducing the cost per engagement. India is now advancing its indigenous Directed-Energy Weapon (DEW) effort from successful demonstrations towards industrial production.
However, the key challenge remains proving that these systems can deliver reliable performance under real battlefield conditions.
Laser weapons neutralise targets by focusing a concentrated beam of energy on vulnerable points such as airframes, engines, batteries or control systems. The heat generated by the beam can weaken structures or disable critical components. At lower power levels, lasers can also blind or damage optical sensors used by drones for navigation and surveillance.
The laser itself is only one element of a much larger system. Effective operation requires advanced sensors for detection and classification, tracking systems capable of following fast-moving targets, precision beam-control optics, and substantial power-generation and cooling equipment.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly being integrated to assist with target identification, tracking and selecting the most vulnerable points for attack.
One of the greatest advantages of laser weapons is their exceptionally low cost per engagement. Unlike missiles or artillery rounds, lasers do not consume physical ammunition. Their marginal firing cost is largely limited to the electricity or fuel required to generate the beam. Some estimates place the energy cost of a single engagement at only a few dollars, although acquisition, maintenance and operational expenses remain significant considerations.
Laser systems also offer a far deeper magazine than conventional weapons. While missile launchers are limited by the number of interceptors they carry, laser weapons can continue engaging targets as long as sufficient power and cooling are available.
Nevertheless, they do not destroy targets instantaneously. Successful engagements require continuous tracking and enough dwell time for the beam to inflict damage. Heat management can also limit sustained firing rates.
Lt Gen PR Shankar (Retd), Professor in the Aerospace Department at IIT Madras and former Director General of Artillery, noted: “Directed-energy weapons belong to the next generation of weapon systems.
They hold considerable promise but also have serious limitations in their employment.” He further observed that their effectiveness in conclusively destroying targets and their overall cost-effectiveness have yet to be fully established. According to him, practical battlefield maturity may still be five to ten years away.
India’s most significant progress has come through the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). In April 2025, DRDO successfully demonstrated its vehicle-mounted MK-II(A) laser DEW at the National Open Air Range in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. Developed by the Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences (CHESS), the system successfully engaged fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles, countered multiple-drone attacks and damaged surveillance sensors and antennae.
The 30-kilowatt MK-II(A) system is designed to defeat drone swarms, fixed-wing UAVs and surveillance equipment at ranges of up to five kilometres. Final trials were completed in August 2025. DRDO subsequently announced plans to select an industrial partner for the first production model, marking a transition from a technology demonstrator towards manufacturing. However, this does not yet indicate large-scale induction into military service.
India’s broader laser arsenal is progressing across multiple power classes. The 2-kilowatt system has reportedly entered production, with participation from Adani Defence and Aerospace, Astra Microwave Products and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). Earlier variants are understood to have been supplied to all three armed services, although exact deployment figures remain undisclosed.
The 10-kilowatt system, intended to engage drones at ranges of approximately 1.5 to 2 kilometres, has reportedly received Acceptance of Necessity. Bharat Electronics Limited and Larsen & Toubro have been identified as development-cum-production partners.
However, production models had not yet been delivered as of September 2025. Reports claiming operational use of the system during Operation Sindoor remain disputed and have not been independently verified.
More ambitious projects remain under development. These include the 50-kilowatt and 100-kilowatt DURGA-II (Directionally Unrestricted Ray-Gun Array) systems, as well as the much larger 300-kilowatt Surya concept.
Another significant milestone occurred in August 2025 when DRDO conducted the maiden trial of its Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS) off the Odisha coast. The networked system integrates the Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile, the Very Short Range Air Defence System and a high-power laser DEW under a unified command architecture. During testing, the combined system successfully destroyed two high-speed fixed-wing UAVs and a multi-copter drone.
DRDO has also initiated development of an airborne laser pod for the Dhruv helicopter and its armed Rudra variant. Completion is reportedly targeted by the end of 2029. Airborne laser integration presents substantial technical challenges involving weight, power generation, cooling, vibration management and aerodynamic performance.
Internationally, India is part of a growing group of nations pursuing directed-energy technologies. Israel has delivered its Iron Beam system, Britain is advancing the DragonFire naval laser programme, the United States Navy has integrated HELIOS aboard the USS Preble, Germany is working on airborne laser demonstrators, and China has showcased systems including Silent Hunter and LY-1.
Despite the progress, laser weapons face significant limitations. Weather conditions such as fog, rain, dust, smoke and cloud cover can weaken or scatter laser beams, reducing their effectiveness. This is particularly relevant in desert environments, maritime regions and mountainous areas where atmospheric conditions may be challenging.
Laser systems also require an unobstructed line of sight. Drones flying behind terrain features or buildings can be difficult to engage. Swarm attacks present another challenge because every target requires tracking and several seconds of beam exposure, meaning time spent destroying one drone cannot be spent engaging another.
Potential adversaries may further reduce laser effectiveness through the use of heat-resistant materials or evasive manoeuvres designed to increase survival time. Power generation and cooling demands also create constraints on system size, mobility and deployment options, particularly for airborne platforms.
In operational service, these weapons are most likely to be employed initially for protecting airfields, military bases, radar sites, ammunition depots and forward-deployed formations against drones and loitering munitions.
Their effectiveness along the Line of Control and the Line of Actual Control will depend heavily on performance in adverse weather, difficult terrain and seamless integration with existing radar and air-defence networks.
Laser weapons are unlikely to replace conventional guns and missiles, particularly when confronting ballistic missiles or high-speed cruise missiles. Instead, they are expected to complement existing air-defence systems by providing a low-cost layer against drones and similar threats.
India has demonstrated a growing capability to develop and field high-energy laser weapons against aerial targets. However, the various systems remain at different stages of maturity. The decisive test will be whether DRDO and industry can manufacture them in meaningful numbers and prove that they can operate reliably during extended deployments, poor weather conditions and large-scale saturation attacks.
As the article concludes, true readiness can only be demonstrated under operational conditions.
Agencies
