UK armed forces test drone-destroying laser weapon  

The UK armed forces have successfully tested a laser weapons system capable of destroying drones travelling at up to 400 miles per hour (mph).

The system was tested off the coast at the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Hebrides range, where the system successfully destroyed high-speed drones similar to ones used in current conflict zones.

“This high-power laser will see our Royal Navy at the leading edge of innovation in Nato, delivering a cutting-edge capability to help defend the UK and our allies in this new era of threat,” said Luke Pollard, the UK minister for defence readiness and industry. 

“We are delivering on our Strategic Defence Review by backing British industry and creating hundreds more jobs, making defence an engine for growth across the UK.”

The laser system, called DragonFire, is accurate enough to hit a £1 coin from up to a kilometre away. 

By using DragonFire, the MOD claims that the cost of targeting enemy high-speed drones is dramatically reduced. The cost of shooting down a high-speed drone using a traditional missile system can be upwards of hundreds of thousands of pounds per shot, but this new system would reduce that cost to around £10 per shot.

The system is scheduled to be fitted onto a Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer by 2027, where it will become a part of the UK Government’s ambition to bring so called “Directed Energy Weapons” like lasers into service to prepare for a "new age of warfare".

The £316m contract to build the system has been awarded to MBDA, a European multinational company that designs and manufactures complex weapon systems like missiles for a range of militaries around the world. This will create up to 590 jobs across the UK, including 200 highly skilled jobs in Scotland, the MOD claims.

“DragonFire is the latest in an impressive line of defence dividend wins for Scotland,” said Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander. “The UK Government is transforming our defence sector into an even more powerful engine for growth because when we back our service personnel and Scottish industry, we keep ourselves and our allies secure whilst delivering skilled jobs and growth for communities and workers.”

DragonFire is the first high-power laser weapon scheduled to enter active military service from a European nation and represents one of the most advanced directed energy weapons programmes in Nato.