DRDO's new laser weapon can destroy drones 5km away
What's the story
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a new high-energy laser system to counter drone swarms and surveillance sensors. The 30kW-class counter-drone laser weapon can target objects at a range of up to five kilometers. The technology was successfully demonstrated in August 2025, paving the way for production. Now, DRDO is set to seek an industry partner for production of this state-of-the-art weapon system.
Technological advantage
Need for advanced air defense systems
The need for advanced air defense systems has grown more urgent after recent conflicts, like Operation Sindoor.
In this operation, both sides extensively utilized drones.
Pakistan employed low-cost drones for probing and surveillance missions, including attempts to locate Indian air-defense positions and force the expenditure of expensive interceptors.
This highlighted a major flaw in modern air defense: using an expensive missile to destroy a relatively inexpensive drone can become unsustainable when attacks involve large numbers of targets.
Strategic shift
Lasers can be a game-changer
Lasers offer a different approach to tackling this problem.
A high-energy laser beam can engage a target instantly, without the flight time associated with missiles and at a much cheaper cost per shot.
As long as there is enough electrical power, the system doesn't face the traditional ammunition constraints of kinetic weapons.
This makes Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) particularly effective against drone swarms and other relatively slow aerial targets.
Development milestones
India working on smaller laser systems
India is also working on smaller laser systems. The 2kW DEW is already in production through Adani, Astra, and Bharat Electronics Limited.
Meanwhile, the 10kW version has cleared the key acceptance of necessity stage with 10-12 systems ordered.
Larsen & Toubro and BEL have been selected as development-cum-production partners for this system which can engage targets up to two kilometers away.
Capability enhancement
Project Sudarshan Chakra and global DEW race
The 30kW system is a major upgrade and part of Project Sudarshan Chakra, India's larger effort to build a layered air-defense architecture.
DRDO has also been working toward higher-power 50kW and 100kW-class systems.
The global race in directed-energy weapons is already underway with the US testing laser-based counter-drone systems, Israel developing its 100kW-class Iron Beam, and China showcasing systems like Silent Hunter and LY-1.