{"id":901,"date":"2025-03-27T14:29:54","date_gmt":"2025-03-27T15:29:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/?p=901"},"modified":"2025-04-16T01:28:26","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T01:28:26","slug":"uks-new-death-ray-weapon-that-can-accurately-destroy-targets-nearly-a-mile-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/27\/uks-new-death-ray-weapon-that-can-accurately-destroy-targets-nearly-a-mile-away\/","title":{"rendered":"UK\u2019s new \u2018death ray\u2019 weapon that can accurately destroy targets nearly a mile away"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{“@context”:”https:\/\/schema.org”,”@type”:”VideoObject”,”name”:”Metro.co.uk”,”duration”:”T28S”,”thumbnailUrl”:”https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2024\/03\/12\/09\/82352639-0-image-a-98_1710235241947.jpg”,”uploadDate”:”2024-03-12T09:19:09+0000″,”description”:”An official video is thought to show a trial at the MOD’s Hebrides Range, in which the so-called DragonFire laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) system achieved the UK’s first high-power firing of a laser weapon against aerial targets.”,”contentUrl”:”https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2024\/03\/12\/7074335199852711748\/480x270_MP4_7074335199852711748.mp4″,”height”:270,”width”:480}<\/p>\n

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class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\twindow.addEventListener(‘metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded’, function(data) {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tif (typeof(data.detail) === ‘undefined’ || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === ‘undefined’ || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === ‘undefined’) {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\treturn;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t}<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar player = data.detail.carousel.el_;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar container = player.closest(‘.metro-video-player’);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar placeholder = container.querySelector(‘.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder’);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tcontainer.removeChild(placeholder);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tcontainer.classList.add(‘metro-video-player–related-videos-loaded’);<br \/>\n\t\t\t});<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Royal Navy will install four new cutting-edge weapons systems on its warships to help defend against air attacks from <a data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/russia\/\">Russia<\/a> and the Houthis.<\/p>\n<p>Yesterday Chancellor <a data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/rachel-reeves\/\">Rachel Reeves<\/a> announced in the Spring Statement that <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/02\/25\/keir-starmer-hike-defence-spending-13-400-000-000-2027-22621831\/\">defence spending will increase to 2.5% of GDP<\/a> – and some of that extra cash will go towards four DragonFire direct energy weapons.<\/p>\n<p>The weapons shoot a laser of pure heat at its targets, either destroying them or seriously damaging missile guidance systems.<\/p>\n<p>And they’re so accurate they could hit a target the size of a \u00a31 coin from 0.6miles (1km) away.<\/p>\n<p>It’s hoped the weapons will improve the defence capabilities of the UK Navy – boosting our capabilities both against potential <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/russia-ukraine-conflict\/\">threats from Russia<\/a> and ongoing attacks from Houthis in the Red Sea.<\/p>\n<p>Dr Sidharth Kahsual, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), told <strong>Metro<\/strong>: ‘What DragonFire provides is a low cost per shot capability that fills an intermediate space between surface to air missiles, which cover many tens of kilometres, and close range weapons on a ship, which are often a last resort.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"367\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22800371 lazyload\" alt=\"Advanced future military laser achieves UK first A military laser which could boost the UK Armed Forces with greater accuracy while reducing the reliance on high-cost ammunition has reached its next milestone. During a trial at the MOD?s Hebrides Range, the DragonFire laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) system achieved the UK?s first high-power firing of a laser weapon against aerial targets. The range of DragonFire is classified, but it is a line-of-sight weapon and can engage with any visible target. First high-power firing of a laser weapon against aerial targets Laser boasts pinpoint accuracy and low long-term costs Partnership with industry making positive progress for UK Armed Forces DragonFire exploits UK technology to be able to deliver a high power laser over long ranges. The precision required is equivalent to hitting a ?1 coin from a kilometre away. Laser-directed energy weapons can engage targets at the speed of light, and use an intense beam of light to cut through the target, leading to structural failure or more impactful results if the warhead is targeted. Firing it for 10 seconds is the cost equivalent of using a regular heater for just an hour. Therefore, it has the potential to be a long-term low-cost alternative to certain tasks missiles currently carry out. The cost of operating the laser is typically less than ?10 per shot.\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SEI_187856518-4e73.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>The laser is used to hit aerial targets with greater accuracy (Picture: Ministry of Defence)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>‘It\u2019s quite power consuming, which is something the Navy will have to work around, but vessels have huge power plants anyway and their power generators have enormous output.’<\/p>\n<p>The DragonFire ‘death laser’ comes to life after the ship’s radar detects an incoming threat such as a missile or drone. DragonFire will then target and track its path, before shooting it down with a 55kilowatt laser which burns a hole through it.<\/p>\n<p>It hasn’t yet been confirmed which Navy ships will be fitted with the new weapon, but it’s thought four of our six Type 45 destroyers will receive them, with the HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales potentially receiving them at a later date, <a href=\"http:\/\/live-uk.andweb.dmgt.net\/news\/article-14539891\/royal-navy-dragonfire-laser-2027-chancellor-rachel-reeves.html\">MailOnline reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The direct energy weapons are ‘certainly’ an area of interest for navies around the world, Dr Kashual said, adding that the US Navy has recently trialed similar weapons.<\/p>\n<p>He explained that these types of weapon have a ‘high performance for its output’ and are ‘pretty cleverly engineered’.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"430\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22800369 lazyload\" alt=\"Undated handout photo issued by the Ministry of Defence of a 'DragonFire' British military laser weapon system, which could be rushed on to the frontline in Ukraine to take down Russian drones, Grant Shapps has suggested. The UK is pushing for the DragonFire weapon to be ready for deployment by 2027, which would have "huge ramifications" for the conflict in Europe, the Defence Secretary said. Issue date: Friday April 12, 2024. PA Photo. New reforms aimed at speeding up procurement mean the laser, originally expected to be rolled out in 2032, will now be operational five years earlier than planned, according to the Ministry of Defence.See PA story DEFENCE Laser. Photo credit should read: Ministry of Defence\/Crown copyright\/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SEI_199584642-1edf.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>DragonFire’ could be used to take down Houthi missiles and Russian drones (Picture: Ministry of Defence\/Crown copyright\/PA Wire)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>One major bonus of the DragonFire system is that it is powered using existing power systems already located on board.<\/p>\n<p>This means it doesn’t need expensive ammo, costing only about \u00a310 to fire, and reduces how often a ship needs to dock to receive more ammo for conventional weapons.<\/p>\n<p>Dr David Blagden is associate professor in international security and strategy at the University of Exeter. He told <strong>Metro <\/strong>that DragonFire does have its limits.<\/p>\n<p>‘Lasers rely on direct line-of-sight, can be impeded by things like smoke or vapour, might be countered by incoming weapons’ own heat shielding, and will need to be aimed quickly and accurately enough by a sufficiently advanced targeting radar,’ he explained.<\/p>\n<p>‘But DragonFire can be a valuable complement to such air defence missiles and guns, unencumbered by the same scarcity constraints, particularly for defending against things like drone swarms, where each incoming munition is not especially fast or capable by itself, but where adversaries may try to swamp traditional air defence missiles and guns with the sheer number of attack drones.’<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"363\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22800370 lazyload\" alt=\"Scene from video showing newly unclassified footage of the DragonFire laser weapon, released March 11 2024. The Ministry of Defence have shown declassified footage of their military laser weapon. An official video is thought to show a trial at the MOD?s Hebrides Range, in which the so-called DragonFire laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) system achieved the UK?s first high-power firing of a laser weapon against aerial targets. The range of DragonFire is classified, but the MOD say it is a line-of-sight weapon and can engage with any visible target. The MOD said: "DragonFire is an advanced military laser, being developed by Dstl and GB industry. The laser-directed energy weapon engages targets at the speed of light, using an intense beam of energy to cut through objects, leading to structural failure." Dstl, the MOD's science arm, said: "A newly declassified video shows the power of our DragonFire laser in acti\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SEI_195695583-8a8a.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Declassified footage of DragonFire released in 2024 (Picture: MOD\/SWNS)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Before <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/03\/26\/key-takeaways-rachel-reeves-spring-statement-2025-22794589\/\">the Spring Statement<\/a>, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had only committed to installing one prototype DragonFire on a single ship.<\/p>\n<p>It’s hoped the new weapons will be able to cheaply and efficiently destroy cheap drones or missiles, such as those used by the Houthis, at a much lower cost – saving resources in case of escalation of the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>‘<a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/russia\/\">Russia<\/a> relies quite heavily on missile attacks to hold stronger navies at arm’s length, so this improvement of air missile defence represents something of a challenge for them,’ Dr Kahsual explained.<\/p>\n<p>‘Some of the weapons used by Russia tend to be designed to overwhelm defence by brute force, their speed leaves little time to react, so DragonFire doesn\u2019t fundamentally change that. <\/p>\n<p>‘Where it becomes more useful is second tier situations like the Houthis in the Red Sea where everybody is relatively constrained. <\/p>\n<p>‘The most important impact of DragonFire will be in places like the Red Sea that doesn\u2019t draw down resources in the EU.’<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong><strong><strong>Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"mailto:webnews@metro.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\">webnews@metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>For more stories like this, <\/strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>check our news page<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>{“@context”:”https:\/\/schema.org”,”@type”:”VideoObject”,”name”:”Metro.co.uk”,”duration”:”T28S”,”thumbnailUrl”:”https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2024\/03\/12\/09\/82352639-0-image-a-98_1710235241947.jpg”,”uploadDate”:”2024-03-12T09:19:09+0000″,”description”:”An official video is thought to show a trial at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":788,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-russia-ukraine"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=901"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/901\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":906,"href":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/901\/revisions\/906"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/788"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.phithuongbatphu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}