UK Laser Weapon to the Rescue By Richard Miller (London)
This is interesting and could give UK some sort of fighting chance against Russian nuclear weapons in the coming war. The Dragonfire laser weapon has been tested, destroying a drone in the sky. The laser could hit a £1 coin half a mile away, with each "shot" being dirt cheap, costing around £10. This could be a game changer if the weapon can up its power so that it could hit hyper-sonic missiles. Laser weapons, with beams travelling at near-light speed, are perhaps the only weapon that could stand a chance to hit such missiles, as trying to knock one down with another missile is like shooting a bullet out of the air with another gun. Laser weapons would counter Russian and Chinese hypersonic missiles if this development continues, but it leaves open the threat of underwear nuclear torpedoes.
"A deadly laser weapon which can blow up drones and hypersonic nuclear missiles at the speed of light has been revealed to the public in newly declassified footage.
The video shows Britain achieving its first high-power firing of the Dragonfire laser weapon, as it successfully destroyed a drone in the sky using the system's death ray.
In these secret trials at the Military of Defence's Hebrides Range, the weapon proved so accurate it could hit a £1 coin half a mile away, with each 'shot' said to cost around £10.
Its full range remains classified, but the invisible 50kW beam can cut through targets using it 'pin-point accuracy' and does not require any ammunition.
The weapons platform, which military chiefs say will revolutionise the battlefield of the future, could one day be used to annihilate fighter jets, warships and hypersonic missiles.
The MOD said: 'DragonFire is an advanced military laser, being developed by Dstl and GB industry.
'The laser-directed energy weapon engages targets at the speed of light, using an intense beam of energy to cut through objects, leading to structural failure.'
Dstl, the MOD's science arm, added: 'A newly declassified video shows the power of our DragonFire laser in action. This technology is the result of joint working with world-class industry partners.'
Built by scientists in the UK, the weapon system is a £100million collaboration between the Government's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and industry partners such as Leonardo and Qinetiq.
The tech could one day be used to sink boats and damage warships, bring down military warplanes and even destroy deadly Russian hypersonic missiles, which are so fast they could travel from Moscow to London in nine minutes.
Although the tests have been hailed as a success, it is not yet known when DragonFire could enter service.
Because of the energy needed to power it, it is expected to be fitted to warships of the Royal Navy, or to be used as permanent air defence platforms on land.
But there are also ambitions for it to be fitted to armoured vehicles for the British Army.
In a January statement, the MOD said: 'DragonFire exploits UK technology to be able to deliver a high power laser over long ranges. The precision required is equivalent to hitting a £1 coin from a kilometre away.
'Firing it for 10 seconds is the cost equivalent of using a regular heater for just an hour.
'Therefore, it has the potential to be a long-term low-cost alternative to certain tasks missiles currently carry out. The cost of operating the laser is typically less than £10 per shot.'"
Comments