Lasers and Directed Energy Weapons thread

[weatheriscool]

Air defense for $13 a shot? How lasers could revolutionize the way militaries counter enemy missiles and drones
By Brad Lendon, CNN
4 minute read
Updated 12:08 AM EDT, Thu March 14, 2024

Britain this week showed off a new laser weapon that its military says could deliver lethal missile or aircraft defense at around $13 a shot, potentially saving tens of millions of dollars over the cost of missile interceptors that do the job now.

Newly released video of a test of what the United Kingdom’s Defense Ministry calls the DragonFire, a laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) system, captured what the ministry says was the successful use of the laser against an aerial target during a January demonstration in Scotland.

“It’s a potential game changer for air defense,” the video says as a bright laser beam pierces the night sky over a firing range in the remote Hebrides archipelago, creating a ball of light as it hits its target.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/13/europe/b ... index.html

[wjfox]

DragonFire: UK laser could be used against Russian drones on Ukraine front line

27 minutes ago

A UK high-power laser weapon could be sent to Ukraine to take down Russian drones, the defence secretary says.

According to Grant Shapps, the weapon could have "huge ramifications" for the conflict in Europe.

The DragonFire weapon is expected to be rolled out by 2027, but Mr Shapps said he wanted to "speed up" production and make it available sooner.

It follows a successful trial of the laser, carried out against an aerial target for the first time in January.

The laser was originally expected to be operational by 2032, but new reforms intended to speed up government procurement of weapons mean that it will now be ready five years earlier.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68795603



MINISTRY OF DEFENCE