Drones are increasingly menacing the skies above, whether as buzzing nuisances destroying a scenic locale’s peaceful vibes or wielded as a kamikaze drone spreading terror.
As such, world militaries are intensely interested in anti-drone weaponry right now. Take the latest demo from the British Armed Forces to take down these suckers: shooting them out of the blue with a powerful laser beam.
The country’s Ministry of Defense recently tested the DragonFire laser at a facility in Scotland, according to a statement, where it was able to successfully shoot down high speed drones that “fly up to 650 km/h [404 miles per hour] — twice the top speed of a Formula 1 car.”
A video posted by the UK Defense Journal shows the laser technology, developed by European defense firm MDBA, being deployed aboard Royal Navy ships so it can counter attack drones from would be adversaries.
“The accuracy is razor sharp,” a voiceover says in the video. “It can hit a £1 coin a kilometer away.”
The system’s also relatively thrifty to operate; it only cost $13 dollars to shoot a beam, compared to typical missiles which can be many times that amount.
That’s a huge plus in light of the problems that the US Navy encountered in the Red Sea, where it’s have been contending with attack drones from Houthi rebels in Yemen. In a nutshell, America has spent almost a billion dollars on missiles — up to $2.1 million dollars per launch — to shoot down relatively cheap drones launched by a ragtag army with little resources.
Because of the British laser’s effectiveness, the ministry awarded MDBA a $413.7 million contract to produce and deliver the DragonFire laser for use on Royal Navy ships.
In the past, engineers developed combat lasers to take down flying objects just like drones, but they were unreliable and complex to use. But in recent years, advancements in engineering have made lasers for defense use way more robust and powerful, making them ready for battlefield operations.
And not a moment too soon — the war in Ukraine has revolutionized the use of drones for military use and increased its availability, complicating the defense strategies of many countries since drones are relatively inexpensive and easy to obtain and can be designed for versatile combat operations, from dropping bombs on targets to assassinating individuals.
To neutralize these buzzing machines, soldiers in the field have been using net guns and other tools. But a powerful laser beam could be a game changer.
DragonFire laser defense system has just been tested
It can shoot down drones moving at 400mph with incredible accuracy
With a contract signed for $415 million (£316 million), it'll be on board a UK destroyer in 2027, with a rapidly accelerated deployment timeframe
DragonFire, a new laser defense system, has been successfully tested in the UK and proved its accuracy for taking down even fast-moving drones, with a contract now in place to provide the Royal Navy with the weapon.
As Tom's Hardware reports, the UK government just announced the $415 million (£316 million) contract with MBDA that'll ensure the laser-directed energy weapon (LDEW) system is on board a Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer by 2027 (five years ahead of the originally anticipated timeframe).
The recent test runs of DragonFire at the UK Ministry of Defence's (MoD) Hebrides range witnessed the laser taking out drones flying at up to 650km/h (just over 400mph). The MoD tells us that this LDEW can hit a Pound coin (a little smaller than a US Quarter) from a kilometer away, which is a mind-boggling feat.
This isn't just about accuracy, though, but cost efficiency, as the laser costs around £10 per shot (approximately $13). Compare that to the price tag attached to a missile for intercepting a drone, which "cost upwards of hundreds of thousands of pounds per shot," the MoD notes. And obviously, when you consider the potential scale of drone attacks, that quickly mounts up.
Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP, stated: "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."
The contract to deploy DragonFire will involve the creation of some 590 jobs in the UK.
Joint effort
The DragonFire trials were conducted by the UK's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, in conjunction with MBDA, Leonardo and QinetiQ – the latter two being the partners who are working with MBDA to develop the system for readiness in 2027.
In a press release from last year, MBDA explained, "The UK DragonFire programme brings together the best of UK industry. It leverages MBDA's decades of weapon system manufacturing expertise, Leonardo's position as a world-leading authority in laser technology, electro-optics, and advanced targeting, and QinetiQ's experience as the only UK company to successfully develop and safely operate high-energy laser sources in the UK and coherent beam-combining technology."
While only the first ship fit is confirmed, other Type 45 destroyers (there are six of these Daring-class anti-aircraft and anti-missile vessels in the Royal Navy fleet) are expected to get DragonFire in the future beyond 2027.
Potential drawbacks to the laser system are the weather and possible atmospheric interference, and the true test will be how DragonFire performs in real-world conditions on board that first destroyer.
The other obvious caveat here is the amount of power needed for this LDEW, which limits DragonFire to installations where there's plenty of wattage on tap, such as on board a ship, as opposed to a nimbler armored army vehicle on land – but more mobile deployments are planned eventually.
If you're curious as to what the power consumption of this laser is, a previous trial at Porton Down in October 2022 used "in the order of 50kW of power" we're told.
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced that the high‑power laser system DragonFire successfully shot down drones travelling at speeds up to 403 miles per hour (650 km/h) during recent trials at the Hebrides range in Scotland and has signed a $413 million (£316 million) contract with MBDA UK to begin deploying the system on the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers from 2027, five years earlier than originally planned.
In the trials, the MoD reports that DragonFire achieved a UK first for the above-the-horizon tracking and interception of high-speed drones. The system is claimed to cost about £10 (~$13) per shot and can reportedly hit a £1 coin (slightly smaller than a US Quarter) from a kilometer (0.621 miles or ~1,093 yards) away. The contract links the program to the Strategic Defence Review and includes job creation across the country, with nearly 600 skilled roles supported in England and Scotland.
DragonFire is being developed by MBDA in partnership with QinetiQ and Leonardo. The MoD says the system will be installed on a Type 45 destroyer as part of an accelerated procurement cycle, five years ahead of its original schedule. While it’s thought that the deal covers multiple ship fits, only the initial one is confirmed for 2027.
“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 MP, the Minister of Defence Readiness and Industry.
Hard-kill solution to major new threat
The system is described as a hard‑kill solution intended to provide a cost-effective alternative to conventional anti‑air missiles, which typically cost hundreds of thousands of pounds per engagement. DragonFire’s value depends on sustained power generation and accurate tracking, as the weapon requires line‑of‑sight and is subject to atmospheric interference. The MoD has not disclosed the maximum engagement range or the laser’s output power during the test phase.
The UK previously tested a vehicle‑mounted radio-frequency directed energy weapon for swarm disruption and a ground-based high-energy laser demonstrator called Wolfhound, which exhibited 100% success in field trials last year. DragonFire’s shipboard role targets higher-speed aerial threats with precision, where the mobility and wide‑field effects of those systems are less applicable.
The first ship integration in 2027 will test the system’s viability under real maritime conditions, including motion, power draw, and weather effects. If those trials prove successful, additional Royal Navy fits could follow.
Also:
New DragonFire laser shoots down high-speed drones and can hit a coin from a kilometer away – it's heading to a UK Navy ship near you
Also:
DragonFire laser shoots down high‑speed drones traveling at 400mph, costs $13 per shot — UK Navy to begin deploying system on destroyers