Military leaders are set to expedite the deployment of powerful laser weapons to counter the threat posed by Russian drones and missiles.
Royal Artillery troops will conduct trials of the innovative ‘DragonFire’ weaponry, designed to penetrate enemy ordnance, during the summer months.
The urgent need to introduce a range of ‘directed energy weapons’ arises from the Kremlin’s effective utilization of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in Ukraine.
British soldiers will also experiment with radio frequency weapons capable of emitting magnetic pulses to disrupt enemy power supplies. UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps recently highlighted Britain’s leading role in the development of these groundbreaking technologies.
Additionally, Royal Navy vessels will be equipped with these transformative tools, a move that could result in significant cost savings amounting to hundreds of millions of pounds.
Mr Shapps said: ‘We are developing these weapons at a speed and to a level that other countries are unlikely to be replicating. This is so cutting edge and we are years ahead. There is a major conflict going on in Europe and we have weapons which could make a major difference, likewise in the Red Sea.
‘2027 is ahead of schedule but we will be looking to speed that up because there’s a war on. On land and on ships, the potential is very positive. With an eye on the money, the laser capability cost around £10 each time it is used, so that is a lot cheaper than missile defence systems.
‘That should eliminate the advantage Russia has held in Ukraine, whereby its cheap to produce drones have been shot down by very expensive defence missiles which are in finite supply.’
Mr. Shapps made his remarks during a visit to the Porton Down military research facility in Wiltshire, where these technologies are being developed. While the specific capabilities of the lasers are classified, it is known that the beams can reach temperatures of 3,000 degrees Celsius and can obliterate drones in just one second.
According to previous statements from Ministry of Defence officials, these lasers have the ability to target objects as small as a £1 coin from a distance of 0.6 miles (1 km).
