Laser Dazzler-Indian Navy

Recently, the Indian Government has been focusing greatly on its military defence system by investing in the production of indigenous equipment and weapons to make India a hub of defence manufacturing. This will strengthen the “self-reliance” or “Atmanirbhar Bharat” initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Laser Dazzler for the Indian Navy is a non-lethal weapon used as a warning sign or to stop suspicious activity on the seas or for self-defence. This technology has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization DRDO, which has proven its use in crowd control by using laser dazzlers.

Laser Dazzler – DRDO:

In recent years, laser dazzler systems have evolved as highly potent threat deterrents for area denial in a non-lethal way. Laser dazzlers were designed specifically for applications to achieve a target’s vision impairment at a specified distance in all ambient conditions, including a rainy day, a foggy day or nighttime. These were developed in 2016 by the Laser Science and Technology Centre (LASTEC), a lab under the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), merged with a missile lab in Hyderabad. Laser dazzler was demonstrated with a bullet-proof crowd control vehicle at the 106th Indian Science Congress in January 2019. DRDO, in collaboration with Mahindra, developed the Vehicle Mounted Laser Dazzler or VMLD as a riot control mechanism. The vehicle made it easier to provide closer and quicker reach towards the target. Laser dazzlers were also demonstrated to the security forces, including the Army’s Northern Command but were still not deployed anywhere.

Apart from these Laser Dazzlers by DRDO, LASTEC lab has developed several variants of the laser dazzlers for diverse applications that can operate for tens of meters to tens of kilometres, including the Helios AD. These dazzlers emit dazzling green laser, which is highly intense but safe.

DRDO has also developed laser equipment for land forces, such as Laser Ordnance Disposal System (LORDS) and Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) equipment. For Naval applications, LACSMI or Laser Cross Section Measurement and Imaging technology is being developed. For counter LIC(Low-Intensity Conflict) operations, Electro-optic Target Locator (OTL), Laser dazzlers and chemical, biological and explosive material detection equipment have been developed.

Indian Armed Forces have been proposed to equip handheld portable laser dazzlers for self-defence and other uses since the early 2000s. The Indian Navy has been the first amongst the Indian Armed Forces to accept Laser dazzlers as self-defence tools.

The US Navy already has a program for laser dazzlers’ deployment. Laser dazzlers were also used by the British Royal Navy warships during the Falklands war of 1982, thereby proving the effectiveness of laser dazzlers for the Indian Navy.

In 1958, DRDO was established by merging the Defence Science Organisation and some technical development establishments. A separate Department of Defence Research and Development was established in 1980, which administered DRDO alongwith its almost 30 laboratories and establishments. Its first major project was surface-to-air missiles (SAM), also known as Project Indigo, in the 1960s.

Laser Dazzlers for the Indian Navy

On December 31 2020, The Indian Ministry of Defence announced that the Indian company, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a Defence Public Unit (DPSU) under the Ministry of Defence (MoD), has signed a contract in New Delhi with the Indian Navy for the supply of 20 Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation Dazzlers (Laser Dazzlers). 

The BEL won the contract beating global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in the global buy category. BEL, Pune plant would manufacture these laser dazzlers for the Indian Navy. According to the MoD, these are portable, shoulder operated and ruggedised for military use in adverse environmental conditions.

Laser dazzlers can be designed for various configurations, from handheld and weapon mountable dazzlers to vehicle mountable dazzlers.

These lasers can suppress the person’s/optical sensor’s action with disability glare in case of non-compliance to orders such as entering a secured territory without permission. The Laser Dazzler will be used as a non-lethal method to prevent suspicious vehicles, aircraft, boats, pirates, etc., from approaching secured areas both day and night. It can disorient, distract, confuse or blind a person temporarily. Thus, the laser dazzlers for the Indian Navy are a safer option in case of threats from pirates, Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV) and other hostile ships.

Conclusion

There was an increase in the annual defence budget for the strong push towards “Atmanirbharta” even after the continuing military confrontation with China in eastern Ladakh. This has led to the slow and steady modernisation of the Indian Armed Forces without any interventions. As said by FM Nirmala Sitharamana, the private industry will be encouraged to adopt the design and development of military platforms and equipment in collaboration with DRDO and other organisations. The use of indigenously developed laser dazzlers by DRDO is another step toward achieving the self-reliance goal of India. Laser dazzlers for self-defence have proven to be a useful tool for the Navy.