UK’s DragonFire laser can destroy missiles; per shot at cost of large pizza | External Affairs Defence Security News

Britain has successfully test fired its DragonFire laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) that can shoot down enemy aircraft and missiles at a per-shot cost of less than £10, or Rs 1,056, United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence (UK MoD) revealed in January this year. 

“During a trial at the (UK) MoD’s Hebrides Range, the DragonFire LDEW system achieved the UK’s first high-power firing of a laser weapon against aerial targets. The range of DragonFire is classified, but it is a line-of-sight weapon and can engage with any visible target,” the UK MoD said in its statement, adding, “The precision required is equivalent to hitting a £1 coin from a kilometre away.” 

UK’s DragonFire laser directed energy weapon in action. Image credit: UK Ministry of Defence

 

The British ministry’s official statement said that the laser beam can cut through a target, “leading to structural failure or more impactful results if the warhead (in an incoming missile, for example) is targeted.” 

But, the clincher is that the UK MoD claims that the cost of firing the DragonFire for a 10-second laser burst is less than £10 (Rs 1,056), compared to say a United States Navy air defence Standard Missile-2 that costs over $2 million (Rs 16.6 crore) per shot. Thus, the long-term cost of using the DragonFire laser to shoot down a single enemy aircraft or missile would be the same as buying a large pizza from a reputable pizzeria in India today.  

“Firing it for 10 seconds is the cost equivalent of using a regular heater for just an hour. Therefore, it has the potential to be a long-term, low-cost alternative to certain tasks missiles currently carry out. The cost of operating the laser is typically less than £10 per shot,” said the UK MoD. 

Bright future 

The UK MoD said that before the latest test, the DragonFire had already undergone a series of “highly successful trials”. Recently, the UK MoD also announced that it would fund a multi-million-pound programme to bring this laser weapon technology to the battlefield. 

The DragonFire weapon system has been built with a £100 million joint investment by the UK MoD and British industry. 

Pizzas and lasers 

In 2022, Israel had claimed that the country’s laser-based interception system, called ‘Iron Beam’, had successfully intercepted and destroyed a range of incoming projectiles — from mortars and missiles to drones. 

Israeli leaders had claimed that the ‘Iron Beam’ could shoot down UAVs, rockets, and mortars using lasers at a “cost of $3.50 per shot”. At the current exchange rate, that amounts to about Rs 290 per shot. In most Indian metros, you can’t get a decent pizza for that amount.  

It’s a technological breakthrough as RAFAEL’s High-Power #Laser Air Defense System “Iron Beam” successfully intercepts an array of airborne threats. Watch for yourself here: pic.twitter.com/6QAy8Fjodd

— Rafael Advanced Defense Systems (@RAFAELdefense) April 14, 2022

First Published: Mar 15 2024 | 5:17 PM IST