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.
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