The Royal Navy is gearing up to accept a new laser weapon five years ahead of schedule, the Ministry of Defence announced.
The DragonFire laser beam has been touted as an effective defence against drone and missile threats.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said that the new weapon demonstrated that Britain was “at the forefront of military technology, and we will not delay in getting it in the hands of our military to face down the threats we’re facing.”
Shapps has suggested that the new military laser could be used in Ukraine to shoot down Russian drones.
“I’ve come down to speed up the production of the DragonFire laser system because I think given that there’s two big conflicts on, one sea-based, one in Europe, this could have huge ramifications to have a weapon capable particularly of taking down drones,” the Defence Secretary said at the Porton Down laboratory in Salisbury.
He added: “And so what I want to do is speed up what would usually be a very lengthy development procurement process, possibly up to 10 years, based on my conversations this morning, to a much shorter timeframe to get it deployed, potentially on ships, incoming drones, and potentially on land.
“Again, incoming drones, but it doesn't take much imagination to see how that could be helpful in Ukraine for example.”
Procurement reforms mean the laser, which was originally set to be rolled out in 2032, will now be operational in 2027, the Ministry of Defence said.
Dramatised footage released by the department shows how the laser would look on board a Royal Navy destroyer.
One of those ships, HMS Diamond, has repelled dozens of drones fired by the Iran-backed Houthi militia off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea, using expensive munitions to knock down the cheaper drones.
The new DragonFire capability could cut those costs and allow Royal Navy warships to shoot down enemy munitions more sustainably.
The Ministry of Defence also said that the laser would cost around £10 a shot and that the weapon could hit a pound coin from a kilometre away.
The chief executive of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory Paul Hollinshead said: “This is excellent news, and a real step forward in enabling operational advantage at pace for UK Defence.
“Dstl is all about preparing for the future and the DragonFire technology is a great example of that.
“Our scientists along with industry partners have worked tirelessly to bring laser technology to where it is today, one which I am proud to say is a UK sovereign capability.”