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.
Watch the first ever video of the UK’s laser weapon DragonFire
Newly declassified footage shows the power of the laser to cut down targets at the speed of light. pic.twitter.com/q5BBAx3P1t
— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) March 11, 2024
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 awesome power of #DragonFire has been put on display
A panel of experts explained the operational advantage this #laser technology offers#BritishScienceWeek #BSW2024 @DefenceHQ @ScienceWeekUK @BritSciAssoc @UKRI_News pic.twitter.com/mpVCFaMSfm
— Dstl (@dstlmod) March 12, 2024
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.
