DRDO to Seek Industry Partner for 30kW Laser Weapon

The Defense Research & Development Organization (DRDO) plans to bring its 30kW-class directed energy weapon (DEW) nearer to production. The organization plans to release an Expression of Interest (EOI) in the next six months for seeking an industrial partner that would develop the system’s first-of-production model (FOPM). The DEW system based on laser mounted on a truck chassis is meant to deal with drones and it has the capability to counteract drone swarms, fixed-wing UAVs and surveillance sensors at ranges up to 5 km.

What Next for DRDO 30kW Laser Weapon?

Dr BK Das, Director General (Electronics & Communication Systems) at DRDO, said that DRDO would start the process of selecting an industrial partner in the next six months.

The final trial of the system was conducted in August 2025. According to DRDO, the technology has been demonstrated and proved, but it needs more work to be done before reaching the FOPM stage.

Currently, 30kW DEW is the most powerful DEW system developed by DRDO.

Why Counter-Drone Systems Are Important

Due to increased use of drones, there is now greater demand for systems that can counter numerous drones of low cost.

In Operation Sindoor, carried out in May 2025, extensive usage of drones was made on both sides. As per the report, Pakistan used low-cost probing drones to detect Indian air defence and possibly force the use of costly interceptors against them.

There are other types of responses in the form of directed energy weapons. The high-powered laser beam does not fire missiles or projectiles at the target.

How Does a Directed Energy Weapon Work?

DEW systems use directed energy, including lasers and microwaves, to destroy certain parts of an aerial threat like the engines and other electronic components.

One benefit is that the beam moves at the speed of light, enabling the weapon to target a threat without having to factor in the flight time, which comes with traditional ammunition.

DEW systems become very important when it comes to targeting drones and UAVs.

2kW and 10kW DEW Systems of DRDO

The 30kW system forms part of the bigger initiative towards development of various categories of Directed Energy Capability.

DRDO’s 2kW DEW is currently being produced with Adani, Astra, and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) being the manufacturing companies.

The 10kW DEW has made further progress too. It has already gone through the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) stage and 10-12 units have been ordered for procurement. The DCPPs chosen for developing and production are Larsen & Toubro and BEL. The DEW can engage the target from a distance of 1.5 – 2km.

What is the OODA Loop in Air Defence?

The directed-energy weapons are supposed to work inside the OODA loop (observe, orient, decide and act).

The air defence systems first detect the objects using radar, electro-optics, infrared, spectrum and acoustic detection. After that, analysis of the data collected allows identifying the target and taking action.