On Sunday, India became the first country to join an exclusive group of nations by successfully using a powerful 30-kilowatt laser-based weapon system to neutralise missiles, drones, and other threats. The indigenous Mk-II(A) Laser-Directed Energy Weapon (DEW), developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), was tested at the National Open Air Range (NOAR) in Kurnool, demonstrating impressive "Star Wars"-like capabilities. Equipped with an Electro-Optical (EO) system, the laser weapon detects targets using radar. During the test, the weapon successfully fired a laser beam that destroyed a drone after chasing it. The drone was reportedly of Chinese roots and was being managed by the Pakistan Army.

India’s indigenously developed defence system is equipped with the Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction System, created by DRDO, which features a 2-kilowatt laser beam. With this breakthrough in electronic warfare technology, India has joined an elite group of countries, including the U.S., Russia, China, and Israel, that have showcased or are developing similar capabilities.

“CHESS DRDO conducted a successful field demonstration of the Land version of Vehicle mounted Laser Directed Weapon (DEW) MK-II(A) at Kurnool today. It defeated the fixed-wing UAV and Swarm Drones successfully, causing structural damage and disabled the surveillance sensors. With this successful trial, the country has joined the exclusive club of the Global powers who possess the high power Laser DEW System,” a post has been shared by the DRDO on X.

Naming it the “beginning of the journey,” DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat briefed ANI, “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.” He further said, “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 microwave 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.”

Dr. Jagannath Nayak, Director of the Centre for High Energy Systems and Science (CHESS), spoke proudly about a 30-kilowatt laser weapon system. This advanced system can neutralise threats up to 5 kilometres away and can disrupt communication and satellite signals. “Whatever we have achieved today is a great success, and we have seen that we have neutralised fixed-wing aircraft at long range, and then we have also seen that we have neutralised swarm drone… with the laser weapon, we can neutralise multiple threats. So, this is one of the new and emerging weapon systems. It is a massless weapon, and the concentration of laser light falls on the target and neutralises it. So this is an achievement for our country and DRDO.”