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15 Ship-Based DEW Systems to be built under Phase-1 by DRDO. However, the nature of operations and the test results are classified by DRDO & Indian Navy

In a leap towards building laser weapons capability, India has made a breakthrough in its efforts to develop directed energy weapons, or DEWs, that can potentially end future wars before they begin.

India’s primary defence research organisation Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in 2018, conducted a successful test of a laser system mounted on a truck, and plans are now afoot to create a more powerful laser with a longer range, people familiar with the development told ET. Kalyani Group is also looking to develop or build DEWs in the country.

DEWs are weapons that produce a beam of concentrated electromagnetic energy. There are mainly two types of DEWs: high powered lasers and microwaves. DEWs are anti-personnel as they can cause intolerable burning of an area in the body and blindness, and anti-material as it can be used to destroy missiles, ships, UAVs and fry circuitry of equipment deployed in a battlefield.

While information is not available on whether India is developing microwave weapons, DRDO tested a 1KW laser weapon system mounted on a truck at Chitradurga in August 2018. The laser beam hit a target located 250 metres away, it took 36 seconds for it to make a hole in the metal sheet.

Two DRDO laboratories — Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences (CHESS) and Laser Science & Technology Centre (LASTEC) — are currently working on developing the source for generating the laser, officials said.

Primary challenges include developing a cooling mechanism for the system that heats up when the laser beam is fired, ensuring a focused beam towards a distant target and optoelectronics, or optronics, involving lenses to create that focus, they said.

The weapon is not ready yet and it will take years for it to be deployed.

Private companies too are looking to enter DEW space.

What Are Directed Energy Weapons

Directed energy weapons include high energy lasers, electromagnetic rail guns, and high power microwaves or ultra-wideband weapons. the key features of directed energy weapons include its ability to counter fast. manoeuvring missiles, precision response, and graded response according to a report by DefenseXp.

A DEW is a ranged weapon that damages incoming missiles, vehicles, and optical devices with highly focused energy, including laser, microwave, and particle beam.

Most of the directed energy weapon is still undergoing experimental stages but for the first time in 2019 turkey destroyed a combat vehicle on a battlefield in Libya with a laser weapon.

Turkey claimed to use the ALKA DEW. It is a dual electromagnetic/Laser weapon that was first unveiled in 2019. it has an effective firing range of 500mmm with laser and 1000m with electromagnetic destruction.

Russia, China, USA are working on the development of directed energy weapons. In 1959 Russia claimed that they have developed a microwave power anti-ballistic missile system.

US Navy recently successfully tested a laser weapon that can destroy aircraft mid-flight. Lockheed Martin has announced the development of a pod-based directed energy laser weapon system.

Laser pod will be integrated on an aircraft and the pod named “Tactical airborne laser weapon system (TALWS) is seen mounted on F-16 in a video released by Lockheed Martin and neutralizes incoming enemy missiles with lasing.

Current Status of Development

DRDO in 2018 successfully tested a laser system. DRDO conducted a successful test of a truck-mounted laser system. The laser beam hit a target that is located 250 meters away and it took 36 seconds for it to make a hole in the metal sheet.

DRDO in the next step will test a high powered truck mounted laser of 2kw against a target located at a distance of 1 km. LASTEC has developed a 10kw chemical oxygen-iodine laser and is working on a vehicle-mounted 30-100 kW Chemical oxygen-iodine laser. LASTEC is also working on a project Aditya under which it is developing gas dynamic high power laser-based DEW.

KALI or Kilo Ampere Linear Ejector is another DEW being developed by DRDO and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. It emits powerful pulses of electrons. The Weaponing of this will ensure the destruction of incoming missiles and aircraft by destroying the electronic circuit on board.

China has developed a mobile laser defence system LW-30, it uses a high energy laser beam to neutralize hostile targets such as guided bombs, shells, and drones.

US Airforce has used Raytheon built high energy laser to destroy small drones. as the proliferation of UAV and increasing threats due to these small drones, the DEW is being developed against these drones.

DEW can be effectively used to destroy incoming ballistic missiles in mid-flight. These kinds of systems are gaining significant importance as the countries are rapidly developing ballistic missiles so DEW can act as the best defence system against ballistic missiles.

DEW in the coming years is going to play a critical role in countering hypersonic missiles, as DEW provides high-speed reaction time and DEW is likely to become the core part of the defence system against hypersonic missiles.

Northrop Grumman Corporation of USA has been awarded a contract by the USA air force research lab for the development f a new laser system that will protect its fifth-generation fighters against incoming missiles.

Final Thoughts

DEWs Could have a major deterrence capability and it will be very crucial for Indian armed forces to engage hostile missiles and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. DEW is likely to play an important role in deciding the outcome of the war in the near time. DEW is considered cheaper to operate than conventional weapons. It has its application in space warfare as the lasers travel at the speed of light and have near-infinite range.

DEW showcase the most disruptive technologies that can be adapted for military use. DEW with extremely high accuracy provides instantaneous target engagement at long ranges. But there are still many challenges on the way for the deployment of these weapons on a battlefield as a large amount of energy is required for its operation.