The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has recently been showing off its latest laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) known as DragonFire.
At the MOD’s missile range in the Hebrides, a picturesque archipelago off the west coast of the Scottish mainland, DragonFire was recently used on an airborne target. Precise details on the test were not revealed, but it did produce some impressive imagery of a red beam striking an object in the night sky.
The weapon is incredibly precise, capable of hitting a coin-sized target from 1 kilometer (0.62 miles) away. The MOD has remained hush on its potential range, stating that the information is classified, but they do
Although it does look like something straight out of Star Wars,
That’s because missiles, bullets, and other flying packages of destruction can cost a lot of money.
To down a drone, the UK military will typically use missiles that cost £1 million ($1.28 million) a pop. However, DragonFire can achieve the same results at less than £10 ($12.8) per shot. Despite its intense energy, firing the weapon for 10 seconds costs about the same as blasting a household heater for an hour.
Collateral damage is also of little concern with lasers. A misfired missile can cause all kinds of unwanted damage, but a
“This type of cutting-edge weaponry has the potential to revolutionise the battlespace by reducing the reliance on expensive ammunition, while also lowering the risk of collateral damage,” Grant Shapp, the UK Defence Secretary, said in a
“The DragonFire trials at the Hebrides demonstrated that our world-leading technology can track and engage high-end effects at range. In a world of evolving threats we know that our focus must be on getting capability to the warfighter and we will look to accelerate this next phase of activity,” added Shimon Fhima, Director of Strategic Programmes for the MOD.
There are many challenges ahead before battlefields start looking like a deadly disco. As explained in the
Nevertheless, plenty of other militaries around the world are starting to explore this novel technology. In February 2022, for instance, the US Navy