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MBDA has secured a £$316 million contract to deliver new DragonFire systems to the Royal Navy from 2027.
The UK Minister of Defence contract was awarded to deliver the new capability for Royal Navy Type 45 destroyers by 2027, after the DragonFire achieved successful results in shooting down high-speed drones with new laser system earlier this year.
The recent trials reportedly involved drones flying at up to 650 kilometres per hour and above-the-horizon tracking.
The laser system is considered to cost around £10 per shot and is accurate enough to hit a £1 coin from a kilometre away, according to the company.
“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,” Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard said.
“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.”
As part of the Strategic Defence Review, DragonFire is the first high-power laser capability entering service from a European nation, representing one of the most advanced directed energy weapons programs in NATO.
MBDA UK will work in partnership with QinetiQ and Leonardo to develop the capability that will be delivered almost five years faster and be continuously improved, representing a fundamentally different rapid approach to defence procurement.
“The DragonFire program is delivering the ambition of the Strategic Defence Review, with industry experts working in collaboration with government to get disruptive, next-generation technology into the hands of our warfighters at pace,” QinetiQ Group CEO Steve Wadey said.
“QinetiQ is proud to have played a unique role in developing and testing this critical military capability of the future.
“We welcome the government’s latest commitment, which will enable us to accelerate the production of the world-leading technology that is fundamental to the DragonFire system.”
The DragonFire laser is envisioned to create and sustain 590 jobs across the UK, including 200 highly skilled jobs in Scotland, 185 jobs in the south-west of England and 75 jobs in the east of England.
“This new £316 million contract award … and news that DragonFire has successfully taken down high-speed drones in the latest trials at the MOD’s Hebrides range, shows just how vital Scottish expertise is to the UK’s national security and why Scotland is globally recognised as a centre of defence excellence,” Scottish Secretary of State Douglas Alexander.
“DragonFire is the latest in an impressive line of defence dividend wins for Scotland. The UK government is transforming our defence sector into an even more powerful engine for growth because when we back our service personnel and Scottish industry, we keep ourselves and our allies secure whilst delivering skilled jobs and growth for communities and workers.”
