Current Affairs - Defence - Discussion

DRDO, or the Defence Research and Development Organisation, is developing the 30kW-class directed-energy weapon (DEW). The laser-based system is mounted on a truck chassis and is designed to counter drone swarms, fixed-wing UAVs and surveillance sensors at ranges of up to 5 km. DRDO plans to release an Expression of Interest within six months to select an industrial partner for developing the first-of-production model. The final trial of the system was conducted in August 2025. The 30kW DEW is currently described as the most powerful directed-energy weapon system developed by DRDO, forming part of India’s broader directed-energy capability programme.