The, otherwise, humdrum, annual Independence Day proceedings, this year, provided glimpses of technological advances made in India's tactical domain. Emerging from the shadows, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent address from the Red Fort, were a bunch of indigenous Laser-based security systems.
The September 2020 issue of DRDO's Newsletter lets us in on the field deployment of, at least, two additional Laser-based systems. It's Laser Science & Technology Centre [LASTEC] has spearheaded both undertakings.
The Optical Target Locater 600 [OTL 600] can scan for & detect devices such as Binoculars, Night Vision Devices [NVD], cameras, Range Finders etc, over a distance of 600 m. An adversarial entity would, typically, use these accessories towards causing disruption.\
Essentially, the OTL shines a beam of Laser towards the area under observation. If any device having an optical lens comes in it's path, part of the back-scattered, retro-reflected beam comes back to the OTL. Signal Processors & Algorithms, then, compute the incident rays to zero-in on the target's location. The tripod-mounted OTL 600 would be in use with the Special Protection Group [SPG], responsible for the Prime Minister's proximate security.
A bigger, larger-range device, the OTL 1500, the Indian Army uses, to detect threats over a distance of 1500 m. These threats could include adversary Snipers, using scopes to identify it's target. A shorter range OTL 300, is known to be in service with the Delhi Police force & the National Security Guard [NSG], India's crack counter-terror Unit.
"Laser dazzler which transmits a laser beam in visible spectrum temporarily impairs or disorients the aggressors in a completely non-lethal manner.
Laser dazzlers are non-lethal weapons specifically designed for applications where subject vision impairment must be achieved at specified distance in all ambient conditions including clear sunny day, twilight and night. Laser dazzlers can be configured for variety of configurations from hand held to weapon mountable to vehicle mountable."
Efforts are underway to develop Dazzlers having range excess of 10,000 m, that would not suffer attenuation effects associated with that distance. It's capability, upon realisation, would be similar to the Lockheed Martin High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance [HELIOS] system, planned to be integrated with the US Naval Warship, the Arleigh Burke-class Destroyer, USS Preble, by 2021. Ambitious goals, LASTEC set.
What was earlier within the realms of Star War/Trek-type fantasy, Directed Energy Weapon [DEW] using High Power Laser [HPL] or High Power Microwaves [HPM] are set to acquire a more prominent, widespread role in future military campaigns. Indian efforts towards self-sufficiency in this gained prominence with the knowledge of KALI appearing in the public domain. Shipborne DEW Counter-Measures [CM], using Deuterium Fluoride [DF] Chemical Lasers, as Close In Weapon Systems [CIWS] for protection against Anti-Ship Missiles is also on the anvil.
Also Read: Some Updates On The Pralay Missile Development - A Prahar Variant?