DURGA II Laser Weapon
Directed-energy weapons have moved from lab demos to deployment trials. The attraction is simple: lasers promise very low cost per shot, fast engagement cycles, and a deep “magazine” limited mainly by power and cooling. Therefore, major militaries now treat high-energy lasers as a serious layer for short-range air defense, especially against drones and rockets.
Against that backdrop, the DURGA II laser weapon sits inside India’s long-running DRDO effort to field an indigenous, scalable laser system. Public detail remains thin. However, open reporting repeatedly points to a maturing prototype path—one aimed at countering drones first, then extending to tougher aerial targets over time.
What Do Directed Energy Weapons Do?
A high-energy laser does not “intercept” like a missile. Instead, it delivers heat onto a small spot on the target for seconds (dwell time) until something fails—skin, sensor, control surface, wiring, or propulsion components. Moreover, the engagement travels at the speed of light, which shrinks reaction timelines and helps in dense drone scenarios.
That said, physics sets severe constraints. Atmospheric absorption, turbulence, smoke, dust, rain, and sea spray can all cut performance. Likewise, targets can maneuver, spin, or use coatings to increase the energy needed. So, claims of “100% kill probability” often describe best-case conditions rather than battlefield reality.
Why India Worries: Layered Defense Isn’t Enough.
India already fields layered air defenses, including S-400 batteries as a strategic anti-air umbrella. Yet interceptor-based defence always faces a cost and inventory problem when attackers use massed salvos or cheap drones. A laser layer could help India reserve expensive interceptors for the hardest targets, while it handles “lower tier” threats at far lower marginal cost. In that sense, the DURGA II laser weapon is best read as an economics and capacity play as much as a technology play. It aims to add another tool to the kill chain, not replace every missile battery.
DURGA II: Progress So Far
Several India-focused defense outlets say DRDO’s Laser Science and Technology Center built a 25-kW laser. They link it to terminal-phase intercept concepts at ranges up to roughly five kilometres. Those reports also mention ambitions to extend the range to 100 kilometres or beyond. The same coverage recalls an earlier DRDO milestone from 2017. It cites a one-kilowatt truck-mounted laser test with a reported hit at 250 meters. Many accounts connect those trials to Chitradurga.
The recurring bottleneck is not the laser beam itself. It is onboard power generation, energy storage, beam steering, and thermal control on a mobile platform. Put simply, building a laser is achievable. Fielding one that fires repeatedly and stays accurate is far tougher. It must track smoothly, handle vibration, and keep optics perfectly stable. Benchmarking against Iron Beam helps explain the real challenge. Israel’s Iron Beam is widely cited because it tackles the same target set. It focuses on rockets, mortars, and UAVs at short ranges. Reuters reported Israel says laser shots can be far cheaper than missiles. One official framing put the electricity cost at nearly two dollars per engagement.
$3–$3.50 per shot
Other public estimates cluster slightly higher (often “a few dollars”), and some commentary still repeats figures like $3–$3.50 per shot. The exact number varies by accounting method, but the directional point holds: laser shots cost orders of magnitude less than missile interceptors. Reuters also reported in 2025 that Iron Beam completed testing and was expected to become operational later in the year, positioning it as a genuinely field-ready high-power laser air-defense system.
So, the Iron Beam comparison does not “prove” DURGA II is ready. Still, it confirms the operational logic behind India’s DURGA II laser approach. It aims for low-cost shots, quick engagements, and less reliance on pricey interceptors.
Regional Echo: Pakistan–China Laser C-UAS
Regional militaries are watching the same trendline. China has marketed exportable truck-mounted laser systems, such as the LW-30, which the official Chinese industry has described as countering drones and other aerial threats. Open-source reporting and expo coverage suggest Pakistan is exploring Chinese-origin laser air-defense concepts for counter-UAS roles. Still, “moving to acquire” is often reported more confidently than it is documented, so it is safest to treat near-term Pakistani laser fielding as possible rather than proven.
US Path: Prototypes First, Power Later
The United States has already used prototype laser air-defense systems to defeat drones in operational theaters, according to reporting citing US Army officials. That matters because it shifts lasers from “test range” to “field learning,” where maintainability and doctrine decide success.
Meanwhile, industry continues to chase higher power. Lockheed Martin has discussed scaling to a 500 kW-class laser, building on earlier 300 kW-class work and US Army programs for high-energy laser systems. This provides a useful framing for the DURGA II laser weapon: first prove reliability and repeatability at lower power, then grow performance as power, cooling, and beam control mature.
References
- https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-says-laser-missile-shield-cost-just-2-per-interception-2022-06-01/
- https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/israeli-anti-missile-laser-system-iron-beam-ready-military-use-this-year-2025-09-17/
- https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2023-07-28-Lockheed-Martin-to-Scale-Its-Highest-Powered-Laser-to-500-Kilowatts-Power-Level
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeremybogaisky/2024/05/06/army-laser-weapons-drones/
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