DRDO Ropes In Private Industry For New Laser Weapon System
DRDO involves private industry in developing a new laser weapon.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has invited Indian industry to participate in the development of a new laser weapon system designed to counter unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The initiative follows lessons from the drone-heavy Operation Sindoor and comes as the government increases its focus on involving private industry in the development and eventual production of advanced defence systems.
DRDO's Hyderabad-based Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences (CHESS) has invited bids for the development and integration of a multi-kilowatt Spectral Beam Combined laser source, along with a beam director and diagnostic stations. The selected company will be required to complete the project with DRDO within 240 days of the contract being signed. DRDO will provide the optical design, while the industry partner will handle the mechanical structure, electronics, command-and-control module, software and system integration.
The new project is intended to expand DRDO's laser capabilities beyond the 30 kW-class system demonstrated last year. Unlike the earlier 10 kW laser programme, however, the selected company will not be designated as a Development-cum-Production Partner. The government will retain the intellectual property, while the development partner will be required to transfer its design data and technical know-how to a production agency that the government may nominate later.
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The move is part of DRDO's broader effort to involve industry in developing and manufacturing advanced weapon systems. B.K. Das, Director General of Electronics and Communication Systems, had said earlier this month that DRDO would begin selecting a production partner for its 30 kW-class counter-drone laser within six months. Larsen & Toubro and Bharat Electronics Ltd are already Development-cum-Production Partners for the 10 kW system, while Hyderabad-based Apollo Micro Systems received approval in December for technology transfer of CHESS's 10 kW laser.
The push for laser-based weapons has gained importance as militaries face increasing use of relatively inexpensive drones and drone swarms. During Operation Sindoor, Pakistan used drones to probe Indian air-defence positions, leading to the deployment of air-defence systems and interceptors. Laser systems offer an alternative approach by engaging targets at the speed of light without requiring a separate conventional interceptor for every engagement.
CHESS demonstrated its 30 kW-class Mk-II(A) laser last year, with the system defeating a fixed-wing drone and a drone swarm and causing structural damage while disabling surveillance sensors. The system has an engagement range of up to 5 km, according to DRDO. A 2 kW first-generation laser system is already in production, while the Army and Indian Air Force are planning procurement of a 10 kW system capable of engaging drones at ranges of up to 2 km. However, lasers remain vulnerable to conditions such as rain, dust and haze and require sustained accurate focus on a target, making them an additional layer rather than a replacement for conventional air defence under Project Sudarshan Chakra.
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