UK confirms drone-killing DragonFire laser weapon for Royal Navy destroyers by 2027 —laser downs 400mph high‑speed drones, costs $13 per shot

News
By published

The 50 kW laser costs about £10 per shot.

The DragonFire system firing a bright red laser, engaging a drone mid-air.
(Image credit: UK Ministry of Defence)

The UK Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the DragonFire high-energy laser weapon will be installed on Royal Navy Type 45 destroyers by 2027, five years ahead of the original schedule.

Defence Minister Lord Coaker confirmed the accelerated timeline following a £316 million ($414 million) contract awarded to MBDA UK in November for the first two production systems. The deployment of DragonFire will make the UK the first European NATO member to field an operational shipborne laser weapon

Article continues below

The MoD has claimed that each shot costs approximately £10 in energy consumption. In contrast, Aster interceptor missiles fired from the Type 45's existing Sea Viper system cost hundreds of thousands of pounds per round, making the laser a far cheaper option against low-cost drone threats. Because the system runs on electrical power rather than stored munitions, engagement capacity is limited by onboard power generation and cooling.

Meanwhile, the £316 million contract covers two DragonFire units, with the first scheduled for installation on a Type 45 destroyer in 2027. Government planning documents reference a broader goal to equip up to four ships by 2027, but any follow-on procurement will depend on performance during early deployment. The UK's Strategic Defence Review backed directed-energy weapon work with nearly £1 billion in additional investment this Parliament.

Google Preferred Source

Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds.

Luke James
Luke James
Contributor

Luke James is a freelance writer and journalist.  Although his background is in legal, he has a personal interest in all things tech, especially hardware and microelectronics, and anything regulatory. 

12 Comments Comment from the forums
  • TechieTwo
    Two years late but better than never.
    Reply
  • Notton
    "Above horizon"
    Okay, but how does it handle a low flying swarm?
    I assume it's classified info, but a low flying swarm, П-700 (SS-N-19 Shipwreck) for instance, is not a new concept, and has been around since the cold-war era.

    Apply that swarming tech to the modern era and that point defense laser is gonna have to go brrrrt to have any chance.
    Reply
  • LordVile
    Notton said:
    "Above horizon"
    Okay, but how does it handle a low flying swarm?
    I assume it's classified info, but a low flying swarm, П-700 (SS-N-19 Shipwreck) for instance, is not a new concept, and has been around since the cold-war era.

    Apply that swarming tech to the modern era and that point defense laser is gonna have to go brrrrt to have any chance.
    Better off with a 20mm CRAM for that. You’re only hitting a few per minute with a laser vs a CRAM which is cheaper and can take out more per minute.
    Reply
  • daggummit
    Just wait to attack during rain or fog.
    Reply
  • Flayed
    The Dragonfire is one part of a layered anti-air defence comprising of a sea viper missile system, DS30B rapid fire cannon, two 20mm Phalanx CIWS and a couple of .50 cal MGs
    Reply
  • PEnns
    Sounds awesome, unless it's a cloudy day and there are a hundred of drones not flying in a neat bundle but coming at different altitudes and from various directions. I would imagine a drone creating a smoke screen behind it is such a far fetched idea too....

    Fair weather systems are so useful.
    Reply
  • Wholesaleforless
    This up by a factor of 100 from multiple previous articles that said 13 cents per shot.
    Reply
  • usertests
    Wholesaleforless said:
    This up by a factor of 100 from multiple previous articles that said 13 cents per shot.
    Concerning, but still insignificant compared to missiles.

    Main thing is that it needs to work, and soon because drone warfare and reconnaissance is very mainstream.
    Reply
  • Terry S M
    Admin said:
    The UK Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the DragonFire high-energy laser weapon will be installed on Royal Navy Type 45 destroyers by 2027, five years ahead of the original schedule.

    UK confirms drone-killing DragonFire laser weapon for Royal Navy destroyers by 2027 —laser downs 400mph high‑speed drones, costs $13 per shot : Read more
    It's already outdated.
    We need the swarm destroyer like the US has developed. It's no good popping out drones individually when you can take the whole swarm down in one go.
    Reply
  • USAFRet
    It is always a game of cat and mouse.

    Better offense results in better defense results in better offense....and on and on.
    It has been this way since Ogg bashed 'Ng over the head with a rock.

    And layered defense. No system stands alone.
    Reply