Indian Army Drone Threats: A recent defence report says the Indian Army is checking a new idea to protect its tank units from drone attacks. The plan is to place 10-kilowatt laser systems on T-90 and Arjun Main Battle Tanks. These special tanks would work like a moving guard wall for other tanks in the group. The aim is to block FPV drones, suicide UAVs, and drone swarms before they can hit the armored vehicles. The term “shield tank” is being used for this idea.
The reason for this thinking comes from the Russia-Ukraine war. In that conflict, cheap drones have caused serious trouble for big armored units. Even small drones can hit weak spots like the turret, engine area, or ammo storage. That can stop a tank from moving or make it useless in battle.
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From ‘Cope Cages’ to Active Defense
At first, many armies tried to protect tanks by welding metal cages on top of them. These were often called “cope cages”. But those rough fixes have not worked well against smarter drones and swarm attacks. That is why the focus has now moved to systems that can actually hit or destroy the threat in the air.
The idea being studied here is simple in shape but bold in use. A few tanks in a convoy would carry laser weapons and automated close-in weapon systems, or CIWS. These tanks would then protect the rest of the formation. In a long line of 20 to 40 moving tanks, the special vehicles could create a kind of moving cover over the whole group. The concept is a bit like electronic warfare aircraft that guard fighter jets during an attack run.
India’s Laser Push is Already Moving Fast
This tank idea fits into India’s bigger work on directed-energy weapons. On January 23, 2025, the Ministry of Defence said DRDO would display a Laser-Based Directed Energy Weapon in its Republic Day 2025 tableau. On January 26, 2025, that system appeared as part of DRDO’s “Raksha Kavach – Multilayer Protection against Multi-domain Threats” theme.
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Then, on April 13, 2025, DRDO showcased its 30-kilowatt Mk-II(A) laser weapon. DRDO-related reports said the system uses six 5-kilowatt beams and can hit drones, helicopters, and enemy sensors. DRDO also describes DEWs as weapons that damage targets with highly focused energy and notes their use against drones and swarm threats.
Laser weapons have a big advantage because they do not run out of bullets in the same way normal guns do. As long as power is available, they can keep firing. That makes them a strong fit for cheap commercial drones that can appear fast and in large numbers. Still, fitting such sensitive gear on a tank is hard. Tanks shake a lot, move through dust and rough ground, and need steady power plus cooling to handle the heat from repeated laser fire.
