UK first achieved in latest testing by shooting down high-speed drones with new laser weapon system
Chris Allam, UK Managing Director at MBDA, greets UK Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP, with colleagues from Leonardo and QinetiQ ©MBDA 2025
The UK Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP, visited MBDA’s Stevenage site on 20 November to announce company had been awarded a £316 million contract to deliver new DRAGONFIRE laser weapon systems to the Royal Navy from 2027.
Chris Allam, UK Managing Director at MBDA, welcomed the new contract, stating “This latest contract for DRAGONFIRE is another significant milestone. It allows us to continue with the next phase of the programme and re-affirms the UK’s intent to be at the forefront of laser directed energy weapons.”
The DRAGONFIRE laser weapons system provides an innovative new solution to address the immediate threat of Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) and softer targets in a powerful, efficient and cost-effective manner. It will become an integral effector within a modern layered air defence system, providing short-range air defence against high volume and low-cost asymmetric threats.
DRAGONFIRE is accurate enough to hit a £1 coin from a kilometre away. Through efficient utilisation of electrical power, DRAGONFIRE provides an unlimited number of ‘shots’ without the dependency of limited stockpiles thus extending deployment times and reducing logistic burdens.
Trials Success
Within the Minister’s contract announcement was the news that DRAGONFIRE’ s most recent trials at the MOD’s Hebrides range involved drones which can fly up to 650km/h - twice the top speed of a Formula 1 car – and included a UK first of above-the-horizon tracking, targeting and shooting down such drones.
Steve Wadey, Group CEO, QinetiQ, commented welcomed the government’s latest commitment, which he said will enable the acceleration of DRAGONFIRE production, and stated “QinetiQ is proud to have played a unique role in developing and testing this critical military capability of the future.”
Chris Allam added, “The success of recent DRAGONFIRE trials is a testament to our MoD and Industry team delivering a truly game-changing weapon system into the hands of the Royal Navy.”
DragonFire laser weapons system firing during trials ©MBDA 2025
Delivered Faster
DRAGONFIRE is the first high-power laser capability entering service from a European nation, representing one of the most advanced directed energy weapons programmes in NATO.
MBDA, in partnership with QinetiQ and Leonardo UK, are developing DRAGONFIRE to be delivered almost five years faster than originally planned, and to be continuously improved, representing a fundamentally different rapid approach to defence procurement. The contract announced will also create and sustain nearly 600 jobs across the UK.
UK Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP, said: “This high-power laser will see our Royal Navy at the leading edge of innovation in NATO, delivering a cutting-edge capability to help defend the UK and our allies in this new era of threat. We are delivering on our Strategic Defence Review by backing British industry and creating hundreds more jobs, making defence an engine for growth across the UK.”
Cooperation Programme
DRAGONFIRE utilises world-leading technologies from MBDA and its industrial partners Leonardo UK and QinetiQ, including coherent beam combining, advanced targeting and stabilisation together with image processing to deliver highly accurate effects. DRAGONFIRE leverages MBDA’s decades of weapon system manufacturing expertise, the highlighted technologies maximise weapon system utility and functionality for the operator.
Across the DRAGONFIRE programme, MBDA is working with over 100 UK organisations in its production, including Marshall Land Systems and BAE Systems This is to deliver a sovereign capability 100% designed in the UK.
Mark Stead, Leonardo UK SVP Radar and Advanced Targeting, commented on the contract award to procure a Minimum Deployable Capability of DRAGONFIRE as a “testament to the hard work and dedication of all those involved in the programme, and the rapid progress made by the defence and industry partnership since its inception.”
MBDA Laser Vision
MBDA has invested in laser directed energy weapons (LDEW) to develop an effective response to low-cost threats such as drones encountered in theatres of operations. Laser weapons are most effective in a layered Air Defence system, complementing missiles and other kinetic weapons.
The Group is producing sovereign LDEW capabilities in all its domestic countries. In the UK, DRAGONFIRE is underway. In Italy, MBDA and Leonardo are developing the Fire Unit Laser Direct Energy Weapon. In Germany, MBDA and Rheinmetall collaborate on the Laser Weapon Demonstrator. MBDA has also taken a stake in CILAS, a French leader in laser technology, which is developing HELMA-P.
As a global leader in weapons systems and an integrator on multiple land and naval platforms, MBDA can capitalize on market opportunities. With its cooperative approach, MBDA can support European convergence on LDEW if desired by respective governments.