DragonFire (weapon)

The weapon was first shown publicly at the 2017 DSEI conference in London. Development of the technology demonstrator was to be carried out by a partnership between the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) and private industry. UK DragonFire is the result of contracts worth £100 million – of which £30 million was awarded by the MoD's Chief Scientific Advisor's Research Programme – from various companies, led by MBDA UK with QinetiQ, Leonardo, GKN, Arke, BAE Systems and Marshall Land Systems participating, to develop a technology demonstrator.^[3]

Trials were to begin in 2018, followed by a major demonstration in 2019; however, the COVID-19 pandemic and technical problems caused delays. It was ultimately deployed on trials in 2022 on the ranges in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland.^[4] According to MBDA, these initial low-power trials proved DragonFire's ability to track air and sea targets with exceptionally high accuracy. This was followed by high-power trials in November 2022, where the weapon engaged targets using its high-power laser in operationally representative scenarios.^[5][6] DragonFire engaged an airborne target in exercises in Scotland in January 2024. The MoD stated: "The range of DragonFire is classified, but it is a line-of-sight weapon and can engage with any visible target. The precision required is equivalent to hitting a £1 coin (23 mm) from a kilometre away."^[7][8] However, according to an article on Freethink, "On November 8, 2022, it revealed that the $115 million laser weapon had been fired at high power at targets, including a drone and metals like the ones used in ship hulls, at ranges up to 2.1 miles."^[9] It has been tested against mortar rounds and drones.^[10] The UK MoD claims the firing of the weapon, for 10 seconds, only costs £10 per shot or the equivalent of running a heater for one hour.^[11]

In April 2024, the MoD announced that new procurement rules had increased the rate of development of the weapon and, as a result, it is expected to be in service onboard Royal Navy ships from 2027 instead of the originally planned 2032.^[2] UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps stated that an early version of the weapon could be used by Ukraine in its defence against the Russian Invasion of Ukraine.^[12]

QinetiQ, one of the companies involved in the development of DragonFire, is also contributing to an Australian effort to develop a similar weapon; technology and expertise from DragonFire has fed into its development.^[13][14][15]

On 26 March 2025, additional funding was secured to accelerate DragonFire's entry into service; four ships, rather than one, will be equipped with the system by 2027.^[16]

DragonFire is powered through the use of tens of glass fibres; however, the full technical approach remains classified.^[4] The laser and its associated targeting systems, including an electro-optical camera and second lower-power laser for imaging and tracking, are mounted to a turret.^[4] The laser is reportedly in the 50 kW class and is designed to defend land and maritime targets from threats such as missiles and mortar rounds.^[17] Its energy demands may be met by a Flywheel Energy Storage System (FESS), a joint UK–US innovation currently in development.^[18] The range of the weapon is undisclosed classified information. Cost per firing is very low; it has been stated as £10.^[12]

The UK envisages high-energy laser weapons, like DragonFire, onboard future Royal Navy warships, British Army armoured vehicles and fighter aircraft of the Royal Air Force, including the BAE Systems Tempest;^[19] it aims to demonstrate these concepts on board a Type 23 frigate and a Wolfhound armoured vehicle.^[20]

• Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon - a parallel development of a radio frequency directed-energy weapon
• HELIOS (United States)
• Iron Beam (Israel)
• ALKA (weapon) (Turkey)
• Integrated Drone Detection & Interdiction System (India)

• Laser weapon