India has been making tremendous progress in the Defence sector under ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and the ‘Make in India’ scheme. While the world is moving towards laser-based weapon systems, India looks up to organizations like the Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences (CHESS) under DRDO. In India, CHESS is the nodal centre for such evolved and futuristic weapon systems.
Understanding CHESS
The Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences is a defence lab under the Defence Research and Development Organisation. This lab is located in Hyderabad, Telangana. CHESS conducts research and works on High Energy Laser Systems. The organization has been experimenting with Directed Energy Weapons or DEWs in an attempt to modernize the defence technology of the nation.
These systems destroy hostile targets using laser technology. Any hostile object, whether it is a drone, enemy boat or mortar, that comes in contact with a high-energy laser gets destroyed. In layman’s terms, DEWs are capable of destroying or damaging the target temporarily or permanently by focusing high-energy beams or lasers. The application of systems developed by CHESS includes neutralizing targets such as personnel, missiles, drones, vehicles and optical devices on land, air or water.
The innovations by CHESS have already seen application in our Defence and Security forces and the organization has received orders for further production of DEW systems.
In an exclusive conversation with PBNS, Ravi Shankar, a Scientist at CHESS, said that DRDO has a tie-up with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the mass production of these defence systems as it is only an R&D organization.
“Currently, the defence systems developed by CHESS are employed with Army Air Defence, National Security Guards (NSG) and Special Protection Group (SPG),” said Ravi Shankar at FICCI’s event ‘Making India a Global Drone Hub.’
DRDO has been working in this domain for the past few years to develop weapon systems of up to 100 Kilowatts of power for short, medium and long ranges. These high-powered DEWs can quietly incapacitate enemy missiles or drones without leaving any physical evidence or debris.
The Race for Laser DEWs
Russia, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Israel and China are a few of the countries that are working and have robust programmes to develop DEWs or Laser Directed Energy Weapons. DEWs are being used by various militaries as a force multiplier and India is also making simultaneous efforts to keep up with the requirements of modern-day warfare.
India’s DEW development includes the DURGA II (Directionally Unrestricted Ray-Gun Array) which is a 100-kilowatt, lightweight directed-energy system. This weapon system will be integrated with the Indian Army and any other platform on land, air or water bodies. There are many projects in progress related to directed energy weapons under DRDO’s sleeves. Some of those projects are Kilo Ampere Linear Injector (KALI), Project Aditya and air defence dazzlers.
DEW’s role in the Indian scenario
Given India’s security concerns, DEWs will play an essential role, especially at a time when our neighbouring countries are also experimenting with such weaponry. DEWs are the weapons of the future. CHESS is working on both the Hard Kill and Soft Kill parts of these weapon systems which will enable us to better engage with threats. These systems will provide India with strategic and operational superiority over its adversaries.
