To counter low-cost kamikaze drones and high-speed jet loitering munitions without exhausting expensive surface-to-air missiles, India has built a multi-layered Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (C-UAS) shield combining directed-energy weapons, kinetic micro-missiles, and AI-driven electronic warfare.

1. Directed-Energy Weapons (High-Energy Lasers)

High-energy lasers engage incoming drones at the speed of light for a fraction of the cost of a conventional missile, offering near-unlimited magazine depth as long as power is available.

• DRDO MK-II(A) Laser-DEW (Sahastra Shakti): Developed by DRDO's Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences (CHESS), this vehicle-mounted 30-kilowatt laser system destroys fixed-wing UAVs, drone swarms, and enemy surveillance sensors at ranges of up to 5 km. Following successful trials in Kurnool, DRDO initiated industry partner selection to transition the system into production.

• Airborne & Heavy Laser Programs: DRDO is developing an 180 kg helicopter-borne laser pod for the HAL Dhruv and Rudra (with a 2 km engagement beam), alongside higher-power ground systems like the 100 kW Project DURGA-II and the 300 kW Surya system (targeting a 20 km range).

• High-Power Microwave (HPM) Weapons: Both DRDO and private firms like Tonbo Imaging (Wave Strike HPM) are developing microwave-based systems capable of frying the internal electronics of entire drone swarms simultaneously.

2. Hard-Kill Kinetic Counter-Swarm Systems

Because modern loitering munitions (such as the Nagastra-2 and Agniveg) feature Electronic Counter-Countermeasures (ECCM) to resist GPS and radio jamming, physical "hard-kill" interceptors are essential.

• Bhargavastra: Designed by Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL), this mobile hard-kill system detects small drones up to 6–10 km away and fires 64 micro-rockets and guided micro-missiles in a 10-second salvo. Layer 1 uses unguided micro-rockets to wipe out drone swarms within a 20-meter blast radius at up to 2.5 km, while Layer 2 uses precision-guided micro-missiles against evasive targets.

• Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS): Successfully tested by DRDO off the Odisha coast, this unified command network links Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missiles (QRSAM), Very Short Range Air Defence Systems (VSHORADS), and high-power laser DEWs to engage fast fixed-wing drones and multi-copters simultaneously.

3. Soft-Kill Electronic Warfare & Wide-Area Shields

For border security, naval bases, and urban infrastructure, India deploys networked electronic warfare grids that sever command links or hijack navigation.


IDN (With Agency Inputs)