The UK will become the first nation in Europe to deploy a high-powered laser weapon at sea, with the Royal Navy set to equip frontline warships with the DragonFire system by 2027.
The Ministry of Defence has awarded a £316 million contract to MBDA to fit the laser drone-defence weapon onto Type 45 Daring-class destroyers. The cutting-edge system, capable of shooting down drones at just £10 per blast, is designed to offer a far cheaper alternative to conventional missile intercepts, which currently cost millions per engagement.
The Royal Navy confirmed the laser will be integrated alongside the ships’ existing Sea Viper missiles, though it has not yet announced which destroyer will be the first to receive the upgrade. All six Type 45s are expected to be compatible.
DragonFire will rely on the destroyers’ advanced SAMPSON radar, which can track targets up to 250 miles away. The move comes as drone threats rise globally, with unmanned aircraft used extensively by Houthi rebels in Yemen, and increasingly by Russia and Iran across multiple conflict zones.
The Navy said the programme will create or sustain nearly 600 jobs throughout the UK, calling DragonFire “the first high-power laser weapon in service with any European nation.”
The system was successfully tested last year, demonstrating its ability to intercept and destroy drones with pinpoint accuracy and minimal collateral risk.
