UK’s DragonFire Laser Takes Down High-Speed Drones in Latest Test

On November 20, 2025, Britain’s DragonFire laser targeted drones flying through the air at 650 km/h, twice the speed of a Formula One car along Scotland’s Hebrides Range, and brought them down with precision. Engineers from MBDA, QinetiQ, and Leonardo watched as their brainchild worked its magic once more, identifying, tracking, and disabling objects that resembled the fast-moving dangers already common on the battlefield. DragonFire is five years ahead of schedule and one step closer to being deployed on Royal Navy ships.

High-speed drones are a nightmare for modern militaries, zipping in low and quickly to overwhelm defenses with numbers. Traditional missiles, for all their potency, burn through budgets like dry tinder, with a single launch costing hundreds of thousands of pounds. DragonFire flips the equation on its head. Each pulse of its high-power laser costs only £10, which is a fraction of the cost and provides pinpoint accuracy. Operators can hit something as little as a £1 coin from a kilometer distant, with no engine roar or smoke trails. In those Scottish skies, the laser corrected for the drones’ speed, altering in real time to hit them in midair. Success like that sends reverberations through NATO headquarters, where partners are watching the UK’s growth with envy and urgency.

Photo credit: Crown Copyright
Engineers invested decades of knowledge into this equipment, beginning with Leonardo’s beam director, which directs the raw energy to the target. QinetiQ provided the test range, putting the system through numerous simulations of turbulent seas and unpredictable enemy trajectories. MBDA tied it all together, ensuring that the laser could ride smoothly on a tossing Type 45 destroyer. One notable breakthrough was above-the-horizon targeting. Lasers move in straight lines, therefore the Earth’s curvature used to limit their visibility from the deck. DragonFire, which is now linked to radars on ships, planes, and even distant networks, can stare over the horizon, spotting and striking enemy who are hiding just beyond sight. Trials revealed that it accomplished this with ease, a subtle reference to how far directed energy has progressed since the early prototypes failed in the lab.


Photo credit: Crown Copyright
Luke Pollard, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, wasn’t holding back. “This high power laser will put our Royal Navy at the forefront of innovation in NATO,” he said. “A cutting edge capability to help defend the UK and our allies in this new era of threat.” His words were backed up by a new £316m contract with MBDA that puts production into gear. Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander added, “This is a defence dividend for my region where 200 new skilled jobs will be created from this deal.” Chris Allam, MBDA’s UK managing director, called it a “big milestone”, proof that government and industry working together can get game changing capability to sailors who need it now.
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