The UK on Thursday announced a contract worth £316 million ($414 million) with European arms manufacturer MBDA for the provision of “DragonFire” lasers capable of shooting down high-speed drones.
Unidentified drone flights in recent months have rattled several European countries, which view the incidents as a wake-up call to bolster their defences — especially as the drones flew over sensitive sites such as military infrastructure, power plants, ports and airports.
The British defence ministry said in a statement it had tested the DragonFire laser at its Hebrides range in northwestern Scotland, involving “drones which can fly up to 650km/h — twice the top speed of a Formula 1 car”.
“The laser system costs just £10 per shot and is accurate enough to hit a £1 coin from a kilometre away,” it added, calling the lasers “a more cost-effective method in comparison to traditional missile systems”.
The laser will be installed on a Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer by 2027 and will help to create 590 jobs across Britain, the ministry said.
The European aircraft and defence giant Airbus owns 37.5 percent of MBDA, while Britain’s BAE Systems owns 37.5 percent and the Italian company Leonardo owns 25 percent.
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