NEW DELHI: India for the first time on Sunday demonstrated the capability to use a potent 30-kilowatt laser-based system to disable, degrade or destroy small remotely-piloted aircraft, swarm drones, missiles and sensors, joining a select group of countries like the US, Russia, China, UK and Israel in the quest for effective Star Wars-like directed energy weapons (DEWs).
The multiple tests of the Laser-DEW Mark-II(A) to destroy a small fixed-wing aircraft and a swarm of seven drones as well as “blind” surveillance cameras and sensors mounted on drones and deployed on the ground, at ranges up to 3.5-km, were conducted at the national open air range at Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh.
“It is a very powerful and reusable weapon for ‘beam kills’, instead of ‘kinetic kills’ with expensive missiles and ammunition. With low cost per kill, it’s much more economical, especially for extended wars like we are now seeing. This is the technology of the future,” DRDO director-general (electronics and communication systems) Dr B K Das told TOI.
The 30-kilowatt vehicle-based integrated drone detection and interdiction system (IDD&IS) marks a significant breakthrough for India, which has lagged far behind other countries in developing such cost-effective counter-drone systems.
The challenge will be to miniaturise the system for deployment on airborne platforms and warships as well. The armed forces have so far inducted 23 IDD&IS systems, with 2-kilowatt lasers, for around Rs 400 crore, with DRDO also completing the development of 10-kilowatt lasers. But their kill ranges are just about 1 to 2-km, as reported by TOI earlier.
“The Laser-DEW Mark-II(A) was tested for a 3.5-km range in hot weather or extreme conditions on Sunday. User trials can take place in 1-1.5 years, with technology being transferred by DRDO to companies for production,” Dr Das said.
With the proliferation of unmanned aerial systems and the fast emergence of deadly drone swarms as asymmetric threats, DRDO is now also working on DEWs with power levels of 50 to 100-kilowatt as well as high-energy microwaves, as per a roadmap laid down with short, medium and long-term goals.
“Cost-effective defence solutions to tackle low-cost drone attacks is driving the adoption of DEWs by militaries worldwide. The cost of firing a DEW for a few seconds is equivalent to the cost of a couple of litres of petrol. Therefore, it has the potential to be a long-term and low-cost alternative to defeat a variety of targets,” another DRDO official said.
Some countries are far ahead in this arena. The US, for instance, has already deployed the `Helios’ (high energy laser with integrated optical-dazzler and surveillance), with a 60-kilowatt laser that can be scaled up to 120-kilowatt, on some of its frontline warships to intercept armed drones, missiles and fast-attack craft.
Israel, in turn, is getting set to deploy a 100-kilowatt `Iron Beam’ laser weapon system with a 10-km range, while the UK is developing `Dragon Fire’ for its warships.
While firing focussed beams of concentrated electromagnetic energy at the speed of light at targets may be much cheaper than conventional kinetic weapons, DEWs are still to enter large-scale operational use.
The kill ranges of DEWs are still far less than conventional weapons, and bad weather can adversely impact their performance. “Advancements in
technology will lead to more powerful and versatile weapons. One such advancement is the development of more powerful and efficient lasers, allowing for greater range and precision. Additionally, advancements in beam-steering technology and adaptive optics may enhance the DEW’s ability to maintain focus and accuracy at longer ranges,” a DRDO scientist said.
