The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced that the high‑power laser system DragonFire successfully shot down drones travelling at speeds up to 403 miles per hour (650 km/h) during recent trials at the Hebrides range in Scotland and has signed a $413 million (£316 million) contract with MBDA UK to begin deploying the system on the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers from 2027, five years earlier than originally planned.
In the trials, the MoD reports that DragonFire achieved a UK first for the above-the-horizon tracking and interception of high-speed drones. The system is claimed to cost about £10 (~$13) per shot and can reportedly hit a £1 coin (slightly smaller than a US Quarter) from a kilometer (0.621 miles or ~1,093 yards) away. The contract links the program to the Strategic Defence Review and includes job creation across the country, with nearly 600 skilled roles supported in England and Scotland.
