The United Kingdom has successfully tested its revolutionary high-power laser weapon system, DragonFire, during trials conducted in Scotland. The system, capable of destroying drones traveling up to 650 kilometers per hour with lethal precision, managed to track and intercept high-speed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) even when they were out of the line of sight—a first for the UK. The Ministry of Defence announced that the cost of firing a single shot from the laser is remarkably low, estimated at only about £10 sterling (approximately €11.40). This operational expense is comparable to the price of a single ride on the London Underground, starkly contrasting with the hundreds of thousands of pounds required for anti-aircraft missiles, reported by The WP Times, citing BBC.
The DragonFire system, which is also reportedly accurate enough to hit a £1 coin from a kilometer away, was tested in the Hebrides Islands in Scotland. Following the successful trials, the Ministry of Defence signed a £316 million (€359 million) contract with the British missile system manufacturer MBDA UK. The agreement stipulates that the weapon will be installed on the Royal Navy's Type 45 Destroyers starting in 2027, a timeline five years ahead of the original schedule. The Minister of State for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard, stated that the deployment of this high-power laser will position the Royal Navy at the forefront of innovation within NATO, providing a state-of-the-art capability to defend the UK and its allies against emerging threats.
The weapon system was entirely developed and built within the UK through a collaborative effort between MBDA UK, the British research and armaments company QinetiQ, and the security company Leonardo UK. This partnership is expected to create around 600 jobs across England and Scotland. Following the initial installation in a Destroyer in 2027, the Royal Navy plans to test the system’s practicality under real maritime conditions, evaluating its movement, energy consumption, and resistance to various weather conditions before rolling it out to more ships.
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