Directed Energy Weapons: The Future of Warfare | Where Does India Stand?

Strategic Vanguard
Apr 13
2 min read

The Global Arms Race Is Evolving—And It's Silent, Precise, and Travels at the Speed of Light

Imagine a battlefield where lasers silently take down enemy drones in mid-air… where missiles are neutralized before they even reach the border… where wars are won not with bullets, but with beams of energy.

This isn’t science fiction anymore. It’s the future of warfare—and it’s already here.

Welcome to the age of Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs).

💡 What Are Directed Energy Weapons?

Directed Energy Weapons are systems that emit highly focused energy—like lasers, microwaves, or particle beams—to destroy, disable, or damage enemy targets.

Instead of traditional explosives or kinetic projectiles, these weapons use energy as ammunition. That means:

Near-zero cost per shot
Instant impact (speed of light)
High precision, low collateral damage

Laser systems can melt through drone armor.Microwave systems can fry enemy communication systems.Particle beams may soon be capable of disabling satellites.

🚀 Who's Leading the Global DEW Race?

United States: The U.S. Navy has deployed laser systems like the LaWS (Laser Weapon System) on its ships.
China: Beijing’s Silent Hunter laser is not only operational—but already exported.
Russia: Moscow’s Peresvet is believed to blind satellites and disrupt GPS.

These superpowers are racing toward battlefield dominance. As an Indian defense observer, I see this as more than just tech competition—this is geostrategic posturing in its most futuristic form.

🇮🇳 Where Does India Stand?

India is entering the arena—with vision and challenges.

DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) has made impressive strides:

Successfully tested a 25 kW laser system
Developing anti-drone DEWs for mobile deployment
Exploring vehicle-mounted laser platforms

Yet, we still face:

Scaling issues
Power management limitations
Delays in battlefield integration

India is in the game—but to lead, we must accelerate innovation, embrace public-private defense partnerships, and build strategic doctrine around DEW use.

⚖️ Ethical Warfare & India's Global Role

With futuristic weapons comes responsibility. DEWs could be used not just in war, but for crowd control, surveillance suppression, or space warfare.

India, with its democratic ethos, has the chance to lead the global conversation on:

Laws of DEW warfare
Ethical military deployment
Peaceful uses in defense-only doctrines

🔭 The Road Ahead

To secure our future, India must:

Invest in compact power sources for mobile DEWs.
Integrate DEWs into existing defense systems.
Train military units for laser and microwave warfare.
Lead international dialogues on DEW ethics and deterrence.

🎥 Watch the Full Breakdown

📺 Video Title: Directed Energy Weapons: The Future of Warfare | Where Does India Stand?👉 Watch on YouTube🎙️ Hosted by: Advocate Manoj Ambat – Chief Editor, Strategic Vanguard