In a significant technological breakthrough, the Indian Army intercepted and neutralised a Chinese-origin drone operated by the Pakistan Army near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu using an indigenously developed anti-drone system. Defence sources confirmed that the drone had entered Indian territory in the 16 Corps area, located south of the Pir Panjal ranges. The swift response by Army Air Defence units, using the Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction System, ensured the unmanned aerial vehicle was brought down without incident.
The Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction System, developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), employs a variety of technologies to detect and disable hostile drones. It can jam communication signals, spoof navigation, and destroy aerial threats using a 2-kilowatt laser weapon capable of engaging targets from a distance of 800 to 1,000 metres. The system has already been deployed extensively along India’s borders in response to the increasing threat of drone incursions.
Highlighting the country’s progress in directed-energy weapons, DRDO also unveiled a new 30-kilowatt laser weapon system designed to neutralise fixed-wing aircraft, swarm drones, and even incoming missiles. Having successfully completed trials, this advanced system is now entering production and deployment phases, placing India alongside a select group of nations — including the United States, Russia, and China — with operational high-powered laser weapons.
Dr Samir V Kamat, Chairman of DRDO, described the achievement as “just the beginning of the journey,” noting the synergy between DRDO, industry partners, and academia. He emphasized that India is also advancing work on other high-energy technologies, such as high-energy microwaves and electromagnetic pulse weapons — key components of what he termed “Star Wars capability.”
Dr Jagannath Nayak, Director of the Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences (CHESS), DRDO, echoed the sentiment, calling the system a “massless weapon” that can neutralise multiple aerial threats by focusing intense beams of laser light. “This is an achievement for our country and DRDO,” he said, underlining the system’s ability to destroy fixed-wing aircraft and drone swarms in real-time.
With this milestone, India is asserting itself as a leader in next-generation defence technologies, capable of countering evolving aerial threats with homegrown innovation.
