British Naval Warships to be Fitted with New Laser Weapons by 2027

The newest laser weapons will revolutionise British naval ships in a few years. This means taking down a missile or a drone will become relatively cheap.

This technology, called Dragonfire, was conceived more than three years ago and was developed by MBDA, Leonardo UK, and QinetiQ.

The Defense Ministry of Britain said these lasers will be fitted on warships from 2027, five years earlier than expected, under laws and reforms to ramp up new technology usage.

With sheer accuracy, these lasers can fire at an air target for 10 pounds per shot, like striking a pound coin from a km away.

Sources say the Dragonfire lasers were to be rolled out in 2032, but now we can see them sooner. They use a light beam to cut through a target and are low-cost, effective weapons for taking down cheap drones.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said, “DragonFire shows the best of the UK at the forefront of military technology, and we will not delay getting it in the hands of our military to face the threats we’re facing.”

This development comes amidst the increased use of drones in modern warfare to take down costlier military targets that are much more expensive than drones.

For example, the Sea Viper Missiles used by the UK to take down Houthi drones cost around a million pounds each.

These lasers use directed energy to shoot air targets, revolutionising air defence by eliminating the need for millions of dollars worth of missile interceptors.

Militaries worldwide have experimented with this technology and concluded that ship-borne deployment is easy since ships can carry bulky equipment.

Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said that the DragonFire weapon will be fitted on Royal Navy Vessels in 2027, and the venture will require a £100 million joint investment by the sector and the U.K. Ministry of Defence.

References: Defense news, Reuters

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Source: Maritime Shipping News