Britain’s new laser weapon "Dragon fire", how it functions.
DragonFire is a British laser directed-energy weapon (LDEW) technology demonstrator that was first unveiled to the public in 2017. The weapon is being developed by UK DragonFire, a collaboration consisting of MBDA UK, Leonardo UK, QinetiQ and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). The technology demonstrator is used to assess laser directed-energy weapons and their potential applications within the British Armed Forces. The weapon was first shown publicly at the 2017 DSEI conference in London.
The development of the technology demonstrator is being carried out by a partnership between the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) and private industry, with contracts worth £100 million from various companies, led by MBDA UK with QinetiQ, Leonardo, GKN, Arke, BAE Systems and Marshall Land Systems participating. Trials were to begin in 2018, followed by a major demonstration in 2019; however, the COVID-19 pandemic and technical problems caused delays. It was ultimately deployed on trials in 2022 on the ranges in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland.
DragonFire uses UK-pioneered beam-combining technology to deliver a laser beam with increased power density, reduced defeat times and increased effective range. The laser and its associated targeting systems, including an electro-optical camera and second lower-power laser for imaging and tracking, are mounted to a turret. The laser is reportedly in the 50 kW class and is designed to defend land and maritime targets from threats such as missiles and mortars. Its energy demands may be met by a Flywheel Energy Storage System (FESS), a joint UK–US innovation currently in development.
The UK envisages high-energy laser weapons, like DragonFire, onboard future Royal Navy warships, British Army armoured vehicles and fighter aircraft of the Royal Air Force, including the BAE Systems Tempest. The MOD stated: "The range of DragonFire is classified, but it is a line-of-sight weapon and can engage with any visible target. The precision required is equivalent to hitting a £1 coin (23 mm) from a kilometre away". It has been tested against mortar rounds and drones, and fitted to a Wolfhound armoured vehicle. DragonFire does not rely on US components or IP and is a fully independent sovereign project.
The DragonFire consortium is a team effort building on the strengths of different participants. While MBDA leads the project they have supplied the Command and Control system and using expertise derived from their missile advanced image processing and tracking algorithms. QinetiQ provides the fibre amplifiers that deliver the laser source. At its heart, DragonFire is based on efficient solid-state fibre optic laser technology. Tens of glass fibres carry light which is combined into a single powerful beam. The exact methods used for combining beams are one the most sensitive aspects of the UK technology. Leonardo has built the beam director, the most recognisable part of DragonFire, and are responsible for overcoming one of the hardest challenges in LDEW development. To concentrate the heat energy on the target, the beam must stay precisely focused on a very small area about the size of a one-pound coin at distances up to several This focus must be maintained while both the target and the source may be moving. Leonardo has some experience with this challenge, gained while developing the Miysis Directed Infrared Countermeasure (DIRCM) system for aircraft that uses lasers to disrupt.
Directed energy weapons have many advantages over conventional projectile firing systems. The most obvious benefit, particularly relevant to the maritime domain, is that it cannot be exhausted in the way that munition stocks can be rapidly consumed. This avoids the need for replenishment and a complicated logistic tail. A LDEW shot will only cost tens of dollars compared to the hundreds of dollars per round for advanced gun ammunition or LDEW can also respond rapidly to very high-speed and hard manoeuvring targets.
As directed-energy technologies continue to mature, weapons like DragonFire are likely to have a transformative impact on the conduct of warfare. Their low operating costs and ability to neutralize many modern threats without expending expensive munitions could shift the balance of power on the battlefield. Overall, the DragonFire demonstrator represents an important step forward in laser weapon development that may reshape the future of warfare.
