On April 13, 2025, India achieved a major milestone in indigenous defense technology when the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tested the Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction System (IDD&IS) Mk2A. The system, powered by a 30-kilowatt solid-state laser, is capable of detecting, tracking, and neutralizing aerial threats such as drones and small missiles with pinpoint accuracy.
This marks India’s formal entry into a small group of nations—including the United States, China, Russia, and Israel—that have operational directed energy weapons (DEWs). These laser-based systems provide numerous tactical advantages: they are cost-effective, offer instantaneous targeting at the speed of light, and minimize collateral damage. The IDD&IS Mk2A uses advanced electro-optical and radar sensors for tracking, and delivers high-energy beams to disable or destroy targets mid-air.
Developed primarily by the Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences (CHESS), a DRDO lab, the system is expected to be inducted into active service within the next two years. Apart from bolstering India’s air defense capabilities, the deployment of such technology aligns with the government’s “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” (Self-Reliant India) initiative and reinforces the country’s posture of strategic deterrence in an increasingly volatile regional security environment.
Q1. What is the name of the laser weapon system tested by DRDO on April 13, 2025?
Q2. What is the power rating of the IDD&IS Mk2A laser?
Q3. Which Indian organization developed the IDD&IS Mk2A?
Q4. Which DRDO lab led the development of the Mk2A system?
Q5. What kind of laser does the Mk2A system use?
Q6. What threats is the Mk2A specifically designed to neutralize?
Q7. What kind of tracking technology is integrated into the Mk2A?
Q8. What is a key tactical advantage of laser-based weapons like the Mk2A?
Q9.Which of the following countries also possess operational directed energy weapons?
Q10. What Indian government initiative does the development of the Mk2A support?
Q11. What strategic concept is strengthened by the deployment of the Mk2A?
Q12. In what timeframe is the Mk2A expected to be operationally deployed?
Q13. What kind of damage does the laser beam inflict?
Q14. What is one cost benefit of using DEWs like Mk2A over missiles?
Q15. What strategic environment does the passage suggest is becoming more volatile?
Q16. What feature makes DEWs like the Mk2A eco-friendly in warfare scenarios?
Q17. Why is India’s entry into DEW technology significant globally?
Q18. What is a known limitation of laser weapons in practical scenarios?
Q19. What role does DRDO play in India’s defense sector?
Q20. What does "interdiction" refer to in the system's name (IDD&IS)?