British Army Successfully Tested Anti-Drones Laser Weapon For The First Time

New technology developed by the British Army has been fired for the first time, successfully destroying flying drones and potentially marking a new era of laser weapons, Ministry of Defence reports.

Laser weapon to Destroy Drones like in ‘Star Wars’ movies: How it works

The laser, DragonFire, works by using a beam of infra-red light, which is transported in the form of energy towards the target. It uses an advanced system of sensors and a tracking system to ensure accuracy when it is being aimed at drones.

Laser weapons have an added advantage of being nearly limitless when it comes to ammunition and there is speculation that they may provide a much more cost-effective option for military applications, including targeting drones. The MOD has explained that it can cost as little as £10 to fire a shot from the laser.

This laser was integrated onto a vehicle that has been designed to carry troops and is built with a high level of protection, called the Wolfhound. Soldiers from 16 Royal Artillery targeted drones at Radnor Range.

British Innovation in Action

Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle MP, spoke about the development and successful test of the laser: “This ground-breaking technology demonstrates Britain’s commitment to staying at the forefront of military innovation.  

“The successful testing of this laser weapon system represents a significant step forward in our development of possible future defence capabilities and showcases British engineering excellence.”

The MOD’s Defence Equipment and Support as well as Defence Science and Technology Laboratory worked on the project, along with an industry consortium that was led by Raytheon UK.

Matthew Anderson who is the trials manager for the British Army’s Mounted Close Combat Trials and Development Group, lauded the technology:

“Every engagement we’ve done has removed a drone from the sky. While we’ve been testing a variety of distances, speeds and altitudes, one thing has remained – how quick a drone can be taken out. 

“It’s definitely a capability that could be added to the arsenal of weapons that we use on the battlefield.” 

Besides Raytheon, other companies including Fraser Nash, NP Aerospace, LumOptica, Blighter Surveillance Systems and Cambridge Pixel have all been working on a £16.8m weapon contract awarded by Team Hersa, with the goal of adding to British Army munitions in the future. Lasers could form a huge part of the UK army’s arsenal moving forward.