- Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is working on Directed energy weapons(DEWs) as part of ongoing efforts to modernize defence technology.
- Direct energy weapons(DEW) is a ranged weapon that damages its target with highly focused energy, including laser, microwaves and particle beams.
- DEW can quietly disable enemy drones or missiles temporarily or permanently without leaving physical debris.
- In contrast,the ASAT or anti-satellite missile that the DRDO tested had killed an orbiting Indian target satellite and left hundreds of small pieces as debris for a few months.
- The potential applications of this technology include weapons that target personnel, missiles, vehicles and optical device.Only the US, China, Russia, UK and India are known to be developing directed-energy weapons.
- After decades of R&D,directed-energy weapons are still at experimental stage and it remains to be seen if or when they will be deployed as practical,high-performance military weapons.
