The Era of Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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The Era of Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs)

Posted 03 Aug 2024

Updated 06 Aug 2024

2 min read

Recently significant investments have been made by India in the fields of DEWs.

  • DEWs are ranged weapons that use concentrated energy from electromagnetic or particle technology, rather than kinetic energy, to degrade or destroy targets.
A chart titled "Types of Directed Energy Weapons" lists four types: High energy lasers (HEL), High power microwaves (HPMs), Millimeter waves, and Particle Beam Weapons. Each type includes a short description of how it functions and its typical applications.

Applications of Directed Energy Weapons

  • Military Defense: To intercept and destroy incoming missiles, neutralize drones, and disable enemy electronics.
  • Law Enforcement and Border Security: Non-lethal DEWs e.g. microwaves or lasers can be used for crowd control and border security.
  • Space Operations: To protect satellites from debris and anti-satellite weapons.

Advantages

  • Complementary to conventional weapons: DEWs use energy fired at speed of light, making them faster and potentially less costly.
  • Reduced Logistical Demand: DEWs reduces the need for physical ammunition.
  • Other advantages: Precision, stealth & more destructive etc.

Challenges

  • Less effective for farther distances.
  • Wider beam DEWs (High power microwave or millimeter wave weapons) affect all assets, whether friend or foe.
  • Uncertainty around long-term health effects of DEWs on people.

Steps taken by India

  • Directionally Unrestricted Ray-Gun Array (DURGA)-II Project: Initiated by DRDO to build 100-kilowatt lightweight DEW.
  • 2kW Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) System: Developed by Bharat electronic limited for countering new threats like drones.
  • Laser Science and Technology Centre (LASTEC): Laboratory of DRDO developing direct energy weapons.
  • Tags :
  • Directed Energy Weapons
  • Particle Beam Weapons
  • Microwave Weapons
  • Ranged Weapons
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