Newly-released declassified footage shows more images of the UK’s DragonFire in action, which was fired against an target drone in January.
The UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), an arm of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), has released never-seen-before declassified footage of the DragonFire Laser Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) system engaging targets at the MoD’s remote Hebrides Range.
The test firings at the UK’s Hebrides firing range, which saw a Banshee aerial target engaged with the high-powered laser weapon demonstrator, appear to be the culmination of several years of work, with the programme unveiled in 2017.
However, the programme, as a capability demonstrator, does not yet have a funded pathway into service with the UK military, although there are applications in counter-drone operations in both the land and maritime domain.
Naval and small drone swarming technology poses an evolving threat to large military platforms, as seen during combat operations in Ukraine.
Army Technology was among a few select members of the media invited to visit Dstl facilities at Porton Down, near Salisbury, for briefings with Dstl and its defence industry media partners MBDA, Leonardo, and Qinetiq.
The development of an LDEW capability is being sought by a number of countries, including those in Europe and the US – with China also claiming to be able to field a laser weapon – as a lower-cost method to intercept aerial targets, mainly drones, at short ranges.
In 2017, the UK Government committed around £30m to industry to help develop an LDEW capability demonstrator, which later transformed into DragonFire. Since then, around £100m has been committed to the programme.
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