India is preparing to take its desi drone killer, 30kW-class laser weapon, from development and trials towards production. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is expected to identify an industry partner within the next six months for the truck-mounted directed-energy system, which can be used against drone swarms, fixed-wing UAVs and surveillance sensors at distances of up to 5 km, a TOI report stated.
The move comes as the growing use of cheap drones creating a challenge for conventional air-defence systems. A large attack involving low-cost unmanned aircraft can force armed forces to use much more expensive interceptors, raising the cost of defending against the threat.
