Hits a coin from 1km away and a shot costs just $13: UK tests DragonFire laser weapon for the first time

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), together with partners, is developing a state-of-the-art laser weapon system on behalf of the UK Ministry of Defence. The first successful tests of this weapon were held the other day in the Hebrides Islands in the UK.

Here's What We Know

The laser guided laser weapon (LDEW) system, called DragonFire, has fired at aerial targets for the first time. It is capable of hitting targets at the speed of light. The range of the laser is not disclosed, but it seems that the weapon can hit any visible targets.

But the UK Ministry of Defence boasted of the laser's accuracy: DragonFire hits a 1-pound coin from a distance of 1 kilometre.

In the long term, laser weapons can become a cheap alternative to missiles from air defence systems and reduce dependence on expensive ammunition. After all, according to the Ministry of Defence, a laser consumes as much energy in 10 seconds as an ordinary household heater does in 1 hour. Overall, one shot costs less than £10 or about $13.

Source: GOV.UK