Hebrides Range News Today

The defence secretary said the laser could be used to take down Russian drones as early as 2027.

DragonFire delivers a high power laser over long ranges with precision equivalent to hitting a £1 coin from 1,000m away.

It follows a successful trial of the laser, carried out against an aerial target in January.

The UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) made the decision to accelerate the laser programme from the demonstrational stage to an operational laser weapon.

This achievement opens the possibility of using low-cost laser systems as alternatives to expensive missiles for intercepting targets like drones.

In these secret trials at the MODs Hebrides Range, the system proved so accurate it could hit a £1 coin half a mile away, with each shot said to cost around £10.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has declassified footage of its £10-per-shot military laser weapon called DragonFire destroying a drone.

The UK in January successfully tested a high-power laser weapon against an aerial target for the first time in a trial. The tests were aimed at paving the way for a low-cost alternative to missiles to shoot down targets like drones. The weapon named DragonFire is precise to such an extent that it can hit a £1 coin from a kilometre away, according to the UK defence ministry.

It is not certain what the next steps might be for the UK's DragonFire laser weapon demonstrator, with the UK MoD to determine its direction.

Why, despite increased spending and the threat from Russia, has the UK military declined to its smallest size in centuries?