This new laser weapon can destroy drones, missiles at the cost of a pizza

Directed-energy weapons are slowly emerging as an alternative to air defence interceptor missiles thanks to their low cost per interception

Britain has successfully test fired its DragonFire laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) that will 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.

A recently released video shows the DragonFire LDEW being fired during a January demonstration in Scotland, with the UK MoD claiming that the laser was successfully used against an aerial target in the test. As a laser beam is seen hitting its target, creating a ball of light in the night sky, the video says: "It's a potential game changer for air defence."

According to the UK MoD, the DragonFire's task requires precision equivalent to hitting a target as small as a £1 coin from a kilometre away. However, the UK ministry said that the exact range of the laser was classified. 

 

"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.  

DragonFire ???? is a new laser being developer by @dstlmod for the ???????? military.

Watch its first high-power firing against an aerial target.

????????????https://t.co/D5sqIciICS pic.twitter.com/oI1xG9sK87

— Ministry of Defence ???????? (@DefenceHQ) March 11, 2024

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