TSAMTO, September 23. The Defense Research and Development Organization of the Ministry of Defense of India (DRDO) plans to select a partner for the manufacture of the first production sample of a 30 kW mobile laser system in the next six months.
According to The Hindu BusinessLine, a corresponding request for interest (EoI) is expected to be sent to Indian industry enterprises.
DRDO expects to receive the first production sample of the complex approximately within a year. After manufacturing, it must undergo an additional test cycle to confirm the range of damage, reliability and other parameters set by the potential customer.
The complex should be made in a land-based mobile version on an automobile chassis. According to the DRDO, it includes a UAV detection radar, radio frequency and optoelectronic/infrared detection and tracking devices, as well as a laser channel for functional damage.
The main targets of the complex are small-sized UAVs, aircraft-type UAVs, groups and swarms of drones, as well as optoelectronic surveillance equipment, antennas and other vulnerable elements of on-board equipment. Defeat is achieved by holding focused laser radiation on a selected area of the target, followed by damage to its structure or disabling sensors.
In Indian media publications, the stated maximum range of the 30-kW complex is estimated at 5 km. At the same time, the official document of the DRDO Center for High-Energy Systems and Sciences (CHESS) indicates the range of functional damage to the UAV 3-4 km.
The Mk-II(A) land mobile complex was publicly demonstrated on April 13, 2025 at the National Training Ground in Andhra Pradesh. During the demonstration, the complex ensured the defeat of aircraft-type UAVs, countering a group of drones and disabling surveillance equipment. According to Indian media, the final stage of testing of the 30 kW system was completed in August 2025.
The head developer of the complex is the Hyderabad-based CHESS Center for High Energy Systems and Sciences. Other DRDO units also participated in the program, including the Electronics and Radar Development Laboratory (LRDE), the Instrument Engineering Research Center (IRDE) and the Defense Electronic Research Laboratory (DLRL), as well as Indian scientific organizations and industrial enterprises.
DRDO has previously posted an official Request of Interest (EoI) for the transfer of 30 kW laser technology to industry. A document published in November 2025 required experience from a potential manufacturer in the development of high-energy laser or precision optical systems.
The participant in the technology transfer procedure must be ready to manufacture one set of the system at his own expense for demonstration to potential customers during the year. The document provides for the implementation of this work in the absence of financial costs and procurement obligations on the part of the DRDO.
At the same time, reports from September 2026 speak about the preparation of a new EoI for the selection of a production partner. DRDO has not publicly clarified whether the planned procedure is a continuation of the technology transfer competition announced in November 2025, or a separate stage of the program.
In parallel, DRDO implements programs for lower-power laser systems. The 2 kW system has already been put into production by Adani Defense and Aerospace, Astra Microwave Products and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). It is designed to destroy small-sized UAVs at short range.
The 10 kW variant received the "Purchase Necessity Approval" (AoN). According to reports, it is planned to purchase 10-12 complexes with a range of 1.5-2 km. Larsen & Toubro and BEL have been selected as development and production partners to produce the first production samples for subsequent testing.
Thus, the 30 kW mobile laser system is at the stage of transition from a technological demonstrator to a production configuration. The manufacturer of the system, the timing of acceptance tests, the estimated purchase volume and the date of possible adoption of the complex by the Indian Armed Forces have not yet been officially determined.
