The UK Looks to Fast-Track the DragonFire Direct Energy Weapon
The UK’s Ministry of Defense has committed to accelerating DragonFire Laser Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) into operational capability by 2027.
In the entertainment world, it was announced that HBO had started production on season three of its House of the Dragon, while the showrunners are working to address author George R.R. Martin‘s concerns.
In the real world, the Royal Navy is looking to fast-track its DragonFire direct energy weapon (DEW), which could be deployed on at least four of its six Type 45 destroyers in the coming years.
the Labour government‘s Minister for Defence Procurement Maria Eagle responded to questions from Conservative MP James Cartlidge about the state of the DragonFire system—and in a written response, Eagle explained, “Ministry of Defence has committed to accelerating DragonFire Laser Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) into operational capability by equipping four Navy Destroyers with this world-leading system, starting in 2027. By doing this, we are bringing laser technology to the Navy around five years faster than planned, protecting our Armed Forces and letting us learn by doing, helping us improve continually in areas like integration, software, and overall lethality.”
Royal Navy Isn‘t Dragging Its Feet on DragonFire
The DragonFire is a line-of-sight laser-directed energy weapon (LDEW) that could potentially engage targets at the speed of light. Its intense beam of light can reportedly cut through a target, including a drone or missile, leading to the target‘s structural failure.
It would have a significantly greater range than the mythical creatures, with tests showing it could strike a £1 coin from a distance up to a kilometer away. Each shot would only be about ten times as much, making it more cost-effective than anti-missile/drone missiles.
The program has been underway for several years and has resulted from a £100 million joint investment by the Ministry of Defence and British industry, including Leonardo UK and Qinetic. The Royal Navy announced in early 2024 that it had set a goal to deploy the platform by 2027.
In March, the UK‘s Labour government‘s Spring Statement committed to spending at least 10 percent of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) equipment budget on advanced technologies, including drones and AI-enabled platforms.
It is also committed to DragonFire.
“We are bringing laser technology to the Navy around five years faster than previously planned, which will protect our Armed Forces, and let us learn by doing,” Eagle said in a statement, per Defense News.
“As announced in the Spring Statement, additional funding for Defence will be directed toward advancing technology, including guaranteeing the in-service date for DragonFire.”
The MoD has suggested that the DragonFire could pave the way for other DEW systems. The next step could be deploying the Type 45 destroyers, although which warships will receive them has yet to be announced.
DragonFire Is More Than a Laser Light Show
DEWs have earned numerous comparisons to death rays and particle beams. Still, the term can describe any highly focused energy without a solid projectile, including lasers, microwaves, and sound beams. The weapons can target personnel, missiles, vehicles, and optical devices.
Unlike kinetic weapons, DEWs require no explosives and could be far cheaper as they would only need an energy source. DEWs also have the potential to be used discreetly, as the radiation may not generate sound and could be invisible if outside the visible spectrum.
In addition, DEWs could be unaffected by gravity, windage, and the Coriolis force, resulting in an almost perfectly flat trajectory. Using high-powered microwave weapons can also be hard to attribute to a particular location or actor.
Yet range is still an issue, as is the power source, which needs to be significant. This is why, despite DragonFire‘s success, DEWs aren‘t going to replace kinetic weapons completely.
In January, U.S. Navy Admiral Daryl Lane Caudle, head of the United States Fleet Forces Command, said at the Surface Navy Association‘s annual symposium that he was embarrassed by the lack of progress.
Other supporters of the technology argue that even as lasers may not be the miracle weapons of science fiction, the efforts to develop the technology should be ramped up. Perhaps it is time to light the proverbial “dragon fire” and follow the UK‘s lead this time.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Wikimedia Commons/ UK Ministry of Defense.