Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced that discussions with the United Kingdom are underway regarding the delivery of a new type of weaponry—DragonFire laser weapons. The minister stated that the project to provide DragonFire is in an active development stage, according to [Interfax Ukraine](https://interfax.com.ua/news/general/1019820.html).
“We talked about DragonFire. We are actively working on this project,” Umerov stated during a television marathon.
He added that the talks covered not only Ukraine’s operational needs but also investments in the country’s defense industry and air defense discussions.
Former UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps suggested in April that DragonFire might be deployed to Ukraine to combat Russian drones.
The system was originally anticipated to be deployed by 2027, but Shapps expressed a desire to expedite this timeline.
Developed by the UK DragonFire consortium, which includes MBDA UK, Leonardo UK, QinetiQ, and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), the weapon was first unveiled in 2017. It is designed to target a wide variety of threats, including UAVs and missiles.
In trials conducted in January 2024 at the Hebrides Range in Scotland, DragonFire successfully hit distant targets, both airborne and maritime. The weapon showcased remarkable precision, capable of striking an object the size of a one-pound coin from a kilometer away.
Western specialists regard DragonFire for its precision and cost-effectiveness.
Each laser shot costs about £10, making it significantly cheaper than using missiles to destroy targets like drones. This makes the system particularly appealing for long-term use in high-intensity combat situations.
“Currently mounted on an armored Wolfhound vehicle, the system is expected to be deployed on Royal Navy ships by 2027, following an accelerated timeline initially set for 2032,” experts noted.
TheOtherGlikbach on
How long before they are mounted on dolphin?
Sterling239 on
Seems like we want to get it their ASAP which is nice even if its lower numbers to start it will be so good to not need to use a missile to stop a drone
flossypants on
It’s likely an expensive piece of kit so would become a priority target. It’d have to stay on the move (shoot and scoot) so they can’t hit it with artillery or a fast missile (i.e. munitions that are not vulnerable to a laser). If they can get it working while on the move, it might have viability even near the front lines.
bushidojet on
Some Royal Artillery types might be in line for one hell of a deployment if this goes through.
I can imagine this will be used to defend somewhere like Kiev or critical infrastructure.
Either way, if successful you can bet this will get rapidly rolled out across NATO and allied nations and those Shaheed drones will go the way of the dinosaurs
Falling-through on
I would love it if this were to happen, but I do not think it will.
Puzzleheaded-Cap1300 on
Best place to R&D the necessary refinements to the system design.
KarlosMacronius on
I’m probably missing something but couldn’t you just cover a drone in mirrors so the laser bounces off?
8 Comments
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced that discussions with the United Kingdom are underway regarding the delivery of a new type of weaponry—DragonFire laser weapons. The minister stated that the project to provide DragonFire is in an active development stage, according to [Interfax Ukraine](https://interfax.com.ua/news/general/1019820.html).
“We talked about DragonFire. We are actively working on this project,” Umerov stated during a television marathon.
He added that the talks covered not only Ukraine’s operational needs but also investments in the country’s defense industry and air defense discussions.
Former UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps suggested in April that DragonFire might be deployed to Ukraine to combat Russian drones.
The system was originally anticipated to be deployed by 2027, but Shapps expressed a desire to expedite this timeline.
Developed by the UK DragonFire consortium, which includes MBDA UK, Leonardo UK, QinetiQ, and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), the weapon was first unveiled in 2017. It is designed to target a wide variety of threats, including UAVs and missiles.
In trials conducted in January 2024 at the Hebrides Range in Scotland, DragonFire successfully hit distant targets, both airborne and maritime. The weapon showcased remarkable precision, capable of striking an object the size of a one-pound coin from a kilometer away.
Western specialists regard DragonFire for its precision and cost-effectiveness.
Each laser shot costs about £10, making it significantly cheaper than using missiles to destroy targets like drones. This makes the system particularly appealing for long-term use in high-intensity combat situations.
“Currently mounted on an armored Wolfhound vehicle, the system is expected to be deployed on Royal Navy ships by 2027, following an accelerated timeline initially set for 2032,” experts noted.
How long before they are mounted on dolphin?
Seems like we want to get it their ASAP which is nice even if its lower numbers to start it will be so good to not need to use a missile to stop a drone
It’s likely an expensive piece of kit so would become a priority target. It’d have to stay on the move (shoot and scoot) so they can’t hit it with artillery or a fast missile (i.e. munitions that are not vulnerable to a laser). If they can get it working while on the move, it might have viability even near the front lines.
Some Royal Artillery types might be in line for one hell of a deployment if this goes through.
I can imagine this will be used to defend somewhere like Kiev or critical infrastructure.
Either way, if successful you can bet this will get rapidly rolled out across NATO and allied nations and those Shaheed drones will go the way of the dinosaurs
I would love it if this were to happen, but I do not think it will.
Best place to R&D the necessary refinements to the system design.
I’m probably missing something but couldn’t you just cover a drone in mirrors so the laser bounces off?