Britain’s DragonFire laser weapon upped the ante on November 20 on the Ministry of Defence’s Hebrides Vary in Scotland when the high-powered, solid-state laser for the Royal Navy shot down drones flying at 351 knots (404 mph, 650 km/h).
In accordance with the Ministry, the most recent exams of DragonFire not solely reveal its lethality towards high-speed targets but additionally the speedy maturity of this system. Initially slated to see lively service in 2032, it should now be put in within the Navy’s Kind 45 frigates by 2027 as a part of the ship’s common armament.
Along with detecting, monitoring, and taking pictures down drones flying at high-subsonic speeds, DragonFire additionally demonstrated new, superior capabilities. These embody not solely the flexibility to hit a goal the scale of a £1 coin or US quarter on the distance of a kilometer (0.62 miles), but additionally a brand new above-the-horizon focusing on functionality.
🇬🇧 The UK’s DragonFire laser has shot down high-speed drones in new trials, with above-the-horizon monitoring and pinpoint accuracy at a kilometre. A £316m contract now pushes the system towards a Kind 45 destroyer by 2027. pic.twitter.com/6sjHq1aYzH
— UK Defence Journal (@UKDefJournal) November 20, 2025
Till now DragonFire has been constrained by its line-of-sight limitation. That’s, it can not have interaction targets past the horizon as a result of the Earth’s curvature blocks the beam, which solely travels in a straight line. Above-the-horizon means the laser weapon can lock onto and fireplace at hostiles which are flying at a distance and at an altitude the place they’re above the curvature.
Because of this DragonFire demonstrated its capacity to counterattack at longer ranges – precisely how far is assessed – and hyperlink to different sensors, resembling shipboard radar, airborne sensors, or different networked property. Equally vital is that as a result of DragonFire is designed as a shipborne weapon, it wants to have the ability to perform advanced firing options to account for the ship’s rolling and pitching at sea.
To assist velocity deployment, the federal government has awarded a £316-million (US$413-million) contract to contractor MBDA.
“This high-power laser will see our Royal Navy at the vanguard of innovation in NATO, delivering a cutting-edge functionality to assist defend the UK and our allies on this new period of risk,” mentioned Minister for Defence Readiness and Business, Luke Pollard MP. “We’re delivering on our Strategic Defence Evaluation by backing British business and creating a whole lot extra jobs, making protection an engine for progress throughout the UK.”
Supply: Ministry of Defence
