India develops ‘Star Wars' laser gun to shoot down drones
The 30-kilowatt laser weapon, dubbed Sahastra Shakti, burns through targets at the speed of light after initially detecting them by radar, according to Indian officials.
The launch marks the country's foray into the next generation of weaponry that uses lasers to strike targets.
The hulking machine was unveiled at the National Open Air Range in Kurnool city in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
India's Defence Research and Development Organisation, which led the trial, said the weapon first picked up and tracked seven swarm drones at a range of 3.5km (2.17 miles), before locking on and destroying them. It then knocked out a fixed-wing drone at an even greater range.
'[The laser] defeated a fixed-wing UAV and swarm drones successfully, causing structural damage and disabling the surveillance sensors,' said Samir Kamat, the organisation's chairman.
India has ramped up military spending in recent years amid rising tensions with China at the border and the ongoing threat of conflict with neighbouring Pakistan.
In February India proposed defence spending of 6.81 trillion rupees (£60 billion) for the 2025-26 fiscal year, up 9.5 per cent from the previous year's initial estimates.
The launch of laser weapons puts it in the same league as the United States, Russia, China and Israel.
'This is just the beginning of the journey. We are working on a number of technologies that will give us Star Wars capability. What you saw today was one of the components of Star Wars technologies,' Kamat said.
Unlike traditional kinetic weapons, laser weapons are cheaper, faster and more precise, making them particularly effective in attacking drones and incoming munitions.
The Sahastra Shakti, which translates to 'a thousand power', consists of six high energy lasers of 5KW each that converge into one beam that hits the target at 30KW.
It's deployed across two 4x4 vehicles, one that targets and tracks the threat, the other that carries the machinery that fires the beam.
'This type of cutting-edge weaponry has the potential to revolutionise the battlespace by reducing the reliance on expensive ammunition, while also lowering the risk of collateral damage,' said Mr Kamat.
'The cost of firing it for a few seconds is equivalent to the cost of a couple of litres of petrol. Therefore, it has the potential to be a long-term and low-cost alternative to defeat the target,' he said.
The plan, officials say, is to further develop the weapon so it can fire multiple beams, allowing it to destroy swarms of drones.
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