Type 45 Destroyers Fitted with DragonFire Lasers for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Defense
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Type 45 Destroyers Fitted with DragonFire Lasers for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Defense

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Royal Navy revealed a £316 million agreement (approximately $414 million) to outfit its Type 45 destroyers with the advanced laser weapon DragonFire. This funding signifies a significant advancement in enhancing NATO’s drone defenses and provides Europe with its inaugural high-powered defense system utilizing lasers. It is also regarded as a substantial achievement for NATO’s defenses, aiming to adjust to a continuously changing technological environment.

In recent years, drones have become an increasing concern for military organizations worldwide. These unmanned vehicles, extensively employed during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, have turned into a main weapon for both factions, responsible for up to 80% of all casualties by early 2025. Less expensive and less hazardous than their manned equivalents, unmanned aerial, maritime, and terrestrial vehicles have consistently evolved into significant threats for conventional defense systems, partly due to the imbalanced expenses associated with their deployment and defense. Consequently, the technology has proliferated, emerging as a favored reconnaissance and assault mechanism for various groups, from drug cartels and Burmese insurgents to the Israeli armed forces. Even the FBI is exploring the utilization of unjammable drones.

The U.K. experienced the difficulties of creating anti-drone defenses firsthand in April 2024, when its Type 45 vessel HMS Diamond successfully repelled swarms of Houthi-operated drones targeting merchant ships in the Red Sea. The operation, which the destroyer countered using its Sea Viper missile system, Phalanx machine gun, and 30mm cannons, highlighted the inadequacies of contemporary defense mechanisms against drone offensives and the urgent need for funding to combat the technology. Establishing a diverse array of defensive strategies is vital to creating comprehensive, adaptable protections, especially as military drone technology progresses. For example, Russia’s jet-powered Geran-3 drone can evade electronic defenses, necessitating varied anti-drone solutions to ensure protection.

Understanding the DragonFire and its functionality

Announced in a Ministry of Defence communiqué in November 2025, the Strategic Defence Review’s £316 million contract will enable defense contractor MBDA UK to install the inaugural DragonFire laser on a Type 45 destroyer by 2027, five years ahead of schedule. Created in collaboration with defense companies Leonardo and QinetiQ, MBDA UK’s directed energy weapon system has demonstrated remarkable efficacy in recent assessments, becoming the first U.K.-made system capable of neutralizing above-the-horizon drones flying over 400 mph.

Positioned on a rotating turret, the system employs electro-optical cameras and tracking lasers to detect and follow rapidly moving drones. While the complete range of the weapon remains classified, the U.K.’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory has indicated that the high-powered laser “is a line-of-sight weapon and can engage any visible target.” The Ministry of Defense claims the laser boasts incredible precision, able to hit a £1 coin situated approximately a kilometer away.

Nonetheless, the standout achievement of the DragonFire laser lies in its cost-effectiveness compared to more conventional defense systems. On a per-shot basis, the laser system costs about £10. In contrast, the Sea Viper missile system, utilized by Type 45 destroyers to intercept Houthi drones in the Red Sea, exceeds £1 million per missile. This significant cost reduction serves as an advantage for the U.K.’s drone defenses, where standard weaponry expenses

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