New Delhi: Operation Sindoor marks a decisive turning point in India’s air-defence doctrine, compelling a fundamental rethink of how the country counters low-cost aerial threats. The realisation that deploying high-value interceptor missiles against inexpensive drones and glide bombs is economically unsustainable has triggered a strategic shift with far-reaching implications.
The cost imbalance driving change
During May 2025, when Pakistan Air Force F-16 and JF-17 aircraft launched stand-off weapons and glide bombs from within their own airspace, the Indian Air Force (IAF) was forced to respond with Akash-NG and Barak-8 MRSAM interceptors. The arithmetic was stark: while some enemy munitions cost under ₹80 lakh apiece, each interceptor missile carried a price tag ranging from ₹9 crore to ₹18 crore.
This unfavourable cost exchange has propelled the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) high-power Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) programme to the top of the IAF’s priority list.
Project Durga: defence at the speed of light
Laser-based DEW systems promise to upend the economics of air defence. Once operational, they will neutralise drones, glide bombs and precision-guided munitions at the cost of electricity alone—often just a few hundred rupees per engagement—replacing missile shots worth crores.
DRDO is pursuing two parallel programmes under Project Durga:
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Durga-I (100–150 kW): A truck-mounted system designed for point defence of runways, radar installations and command centres. It is expected to engage drones at ranges of 4–6 km and subsonic cruise missiles at 8–12 km.
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Durga-II (250–300 kW): A more powerful, trailer-based system capable of countering airborne threats out to 15–20 km and supersonic precision-guided munitions up to 10 km.
Both systems employ fibre-laser technology developed by DRDO’s LASTEC laboratory in Delhi, with power-scaling and sensor technologies contributed by private-sector partners including Bharat Electronics and Tonbo Imaging. Advanced adaptive optics will ensure precise beam control even under challenging atmospheric conditions.
Accelerated timelines and deployment
The programme’s timelines have been sharply advanced. A 30 kW technology demonstrator for counter-drone interception is slated for delivery by Republic Day 2027, followed by user trials of a 100 kW tactical system in 2028. Full induction of the 250–300 kW Durga-II batteries is targeted for 2029–2031—at least five years ahead of the original schedule.
The IAF has already earmarked locations at forward bases in both western and eastern sectors for permanent DEW sites. These will be integrated with existing S-400 and Akash-NG batteries to create layered “hard-kill plus soft-kill” defensive bubbles.
When these laser systems enter service, the cost calculus of aerial warfare will change decisively. An adversary contemplating the launch of a ₹50-lakh weapon will have to reckon with the certainty of being neutralised for a fraction of that cost—marking a new era in air defence economics.
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