The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense has released recently declassified footage and photos showing the firing and effect of its "DragonFire" laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) against aerial targets..While the exact range remains classified, the Ministry stated it is a line-of-sight weapon that has the accuracy to hit a coin sized object from a kilometer away. Likewise, the system is said to be cheap to operate, only costing £10 per "shot.".The ability to engage a target at the speed of light is a significant advantage for threat interception. Further development of LDEWs will prove critical for defense against maneuverable hypersonic weapons, but as we can see it is currently being tested on drones and (Iranian-made) mortars.
The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense has released recently declassified footage and photos showing the firing and effect of its "DragonFire" laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) against aerial targets..While the exact range remains classified, the Ministry stated it is a line-of-sight weapon that has the accuracy to hit a coin sized object from a kilometer away. Likewise, the system is said to be cheap to operate, only costing £10 per "shot.".The ability to engage a target at the speed of light is a significant advantage for threat interception. Further development of LDEWs will prove critical for defense against maneuverable hypersonic weapons, but as we can see it is currently being tested on drones and (Iranian-made) mortars.
