India’s navy is exploring new ways to power future warships so they can carry laser and microwave weapons capable of taking down swarms of cheap drones, according to Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar.

Drawing lessons from wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, the navy sees such weapons as a cheaper way to counter drones that can be launched in large numbers to overwhelm conventional air defenses.

“These drones are low cost,” Kochhar told reporters Monday, adding that their use in large numbers is designed to create an “overwhelming effect.”The economics are stark. An Iranian-designed Shahed attack drone costs about $35,000 to $50,000, compared with $2 million to $3 million for a missile used to shoot it down, Kochhar said.

“It is definitely not worth it,” he said of using expensive missiles against cheap drones. “Therefore, directed-energy weapons play a very, very crucial and important role.”The power demands of microwave and other directed-energy weapons are prompting India to move toward electric propulsion for future warships, as conventional diesel- and gas-turbine systems may struggle to provide enough electricity, he said.

“We have signed agreements for electric propulsion, and have government approvals,” Kochhar said, without giving details.

The navy is also exploring navigation technologies that can work when GPS signals are unavailable or disrupted, including quantum-based positioning systems and celestial navigation, he said.

Separately, the navy recently sought bids for four landing platform docks and next-generation frigates, Kochhar said.