Article Posted on : - Nov 25, 2011

An unrelated file photo.

HYDERABAD (PTI): Defence scientists are working towards development of laser weapon system in the country, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Director-General V K Saraswat said here on Thursday.

DRDO, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and academic institutions are involved in lot of work on laser technology for using lasers as weapons. There is lot of work going on with regard to laser weapons, Saraswat told reporters on the sidelines of the 22nd National Annual Conference of Indian Nuclear Society (INS) here.

"How to produce high-power lasers, how to get that kind of a narrow beam, miniatured version of a laser power device, all this is called Physics. But we have to graduate from Physics portion to the actual engineering portion that is the need of the hour," he stressed.

"It (developing laser weapons) is science getting into engineering and engineering into technology and technology getting into a product. You have to go through that cycle. Our scientists, engineers have to take through this gradual process of development. It's a fairly complex subject," Saraswat explained.

He said the US has done some development on laser technology by having an air-borne system, adding, "They (US) have also some mobile system which are operational.

But in terms of weapon system (through laser) in those places a lot more is required to be done."

Earlier, speaking on the topic 'Synergising India's Electronic Development Efforts' after inaugurating the 22nd National Annual Conference of Indian Nuclear Society (INS) here, Centre's Principal Scientific Adviser R Chidambaram said strategic electronics in all its dimensions was extremely important and time had come to synergise electronic efforts in the country.

He stressed on the need for getting into electronic manufacturing adding, "We must go beyond Information Technology. There is need to synergising the electronic efforts which are very strong mission oriented agencies with the involvement of academia."