DRDO working on laser weapon pod for helicopters; development to be completed by 2029

NEW DELHI: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has begun work on a helicopter-mounted laser weapon to neutralise hostile drones, with development scheduled to be completed by the end of 2029, sources in the defence establishment said. Two DRDO laboratories are working on the project along with a private industry partner. The Hyderabad-based Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences (CHESS) is developing the laser directed-energy weapon (DEW) itself, while the Dehradun-based Instruments Research and Development Establishment (IRDE) is handling the stabilised gimballed pod that will house the sensors and direct the beam. The pod, which will weigh up…