India's Laser Weapon Smokes Fixed-wing Drone in First Test

India has for the first time tested a 30-kilowatt laser-based weapon system that destroyed a fixed-wing drone, demonstrating its growing capability in directed-energy warfare.

Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the laser weapon system was shown neutralizing multiple aerial targets, including missiles and swarm drones. The trial positions India among a select group of nations—alongside the United States, Russia, and China—that have successfully demonstrated such weapons.

The DRDO confirmed that the laser weapon is now ready for production and deployment. Designed for use on land and at sea, the system can be mounted on various platforms and is capable of countering threats within a 5-kilometer radius.

“It is a completely indigenous product of many DRDO laboratories working in synergy with startups, academic institutions, and industries,” said Dr BK Das, Director General (Electronics & Communication System), DRDO.

The laser weapon includes a 360-degree Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensor for precision targeting. It also supports electronic warfare operations like jamming satellite and communication signals. Its portability allows it to be quickly deployed by air, road, rail, or sea.

“This is just the beginning of the journey,” said DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V Kamat. “We are working on other high energy systems like high energy microwaves and electromagnetic pulse. What you saw today was one of the components of Star Wars technologies.”

Dr Jagannath Nayak, director of the Centre for High Energy System and Sciences (CHESS), DRDO, emphasized the system’s versatility: “With the laser weapon, we can neutralize multiple targets. It is a massless weapon—the concentration of laser light falls on the target and neutralizes it.”