The UK’s DragonFire laser has shot down high-speed drones in new trials, as a UKP316 million (USD414 million) contract is awarded to MBDA deliver new systems to the Royal Navy from 2027, according to a UK government press release.
“Its most recent trials at the MOD’s Hebrides range involved drones which can fly up to 650km/h – twice the top speed of a Formula 1 car – including a UK first of above-the-horizon tracking, targeting and shooting down such drones,” said the press statement. “The laser system costs just UKP10 per shot and is accurate enough to hit a UKP1 coin from a kilometre away. It is a more cost-effective method in comparison to traditional missile systems, which cost upwards of hundreds of thousands of pounds per shot. DragonFire will be fitted to a Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer by 2027 – five years faster than originally planned.”
As part of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), DragonFire is the first high-power laser capability entering service from a European nation, said the press release, representing one of the most advanced directed energy weapons programmes in NATO. The SDR backed UK Directed Energy Weapon work with a further investment of nearly UKP1 billion this Parliament alone.
MBDA UK will work in partnership with QinetiQ and Leonardo to develop the capability that will be delivered almost five years faster and be continuously improved, representing a fundamentally different rapid approach to defence procurement.
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Boost for Armed Forces as new laser weapon takes down high-speed drones – GOV.UK
