The Royal Navy’s 'DragonFire' Laser Weapon Downs 30 Drones in Trial
The UK’s 50 kilowatt laser weapon system is inching closer to deployment amid rising investment in directed energy.
The UK Royal Navy’s primary laser weapon is edging closer to operational deployment, according to a recent statement from the government's top defense procurement official.
In a written response to a question British MP James Cartlidge published by Parliament in late June, Minister of State for Defence Procurement and Industry Maria Eagle revealed that the Royal Navy’s 50 kilowatt ‘DragonFire’ shipboard laser weapon system had fired more than 300 shots and destroyed 30 drones during a recent trial, demonstrating “consistency and reliability” even in “adverse weather conditions.”
The trial reportedly occurred between March and June of this year, according to military news site Naval Technology. It’s unclear if the exercise took place at sea or used a land-based demonstrator.
“These trials generate vital evidence and learning needed to improve and adapt these systems, and together with our investment will bring [directed energy weapon] systems into service quickly, protecting our Armed Forces,’ Eagle wrote.
Developed by a British consortium defense contractors MBDA, Leonardo, and QinetiQ, DragonFire is designed for precision engagements with hostile drones and incoming rocket, artillery, and mortar fire. In March, the UK Ministry of Defense announced that it would equip four Royal Navy destroyers with DragonFire laser weapons by 2027 after previously moving up the timeline for the integration of a single system onto warship by five years.
News of the successful trial comes amid a major boost in UK government spending on directed energy weapons. As part of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review released earlier in June, the MoD pledged an additional £1 billion ($1.3 billion) investment in directed energy weapons research and development. A recent tender notice also revealed plans to spend £240 million ($324 million) on the Royal Navy’s first two DragonFire systems.
And this vision goes beyond just bolting DragonFire onto legacy hulls. The 2025 SDR calls on the Royal Navy to eventually transform its Type 45 guided-missile destroyers into "minimally crewed or autonomous air dominance systems" capable of integrating directed energy weapons, yet another indicator that lasers will play a central role in the evolution of Britain’s air and missile defense capabilities.
Downing 30 drones is certainly notable, but it's hard to gauge the real operational significance without additional details. Were the engagements simultaneous or sequential? At what ranges? Against what kinds of drone classes or profiles — stationary, maneuvering, swarming? Was DragonFire mounted on a stabilized shipboard platform or on a static ground rig? These factors make the difference between a lab success and a field-ready weapon. Without this data, it’s difficult to assess whether DragonFire is ready for the unpredictable dynamics of high-intensity maritime conflict.
That said, one detail from Eagle’s announcement stands out: “adverse weather conditions.” As Laser Wars has previously noted, the maritime environment is arguably the most punishing domain for laser weapons. Fog, sea spray, humidity, and turbulence all degrade beam propagation, absorption, and focus. If the Royal Navy has validated DragonFire’s performance under those conditions — or even developed adaptive optics or other beam correction tools that can compensate for them — that would represent a major technical milestone, not just for the UK, but for naval laser systems globally.
Indeed, this is a striking contrast to the US Navy’s own experience with its High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) system. Despite years of investment, HELIOS is currently operating at just one-third of its intended 60 kw output aboard the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Preble, with the service citing unresolved “problems” that cropped up in testing. DragonFire, by comparison, appears to be making quiet but credible progress.
Whether DragonFire proves fully combat-ready by 2027 remains to be seen. But if it does, it could mark the first truly capable laser air defense system to set sail on a warship — and a glimpse of what effective shipboard directed energy might actually look like.
“Adverse weather conditions” might be the most important phrase in this whole writeup. If DragonFire really held up through fog, humidity, and turbulence, then it’s not just a lab toy anymore.
What caught my eye, though, is the contrast with HELIOS. The U.S. laser weapon is underpowered and overpromised, while the UK’s quietly scaling up real capability. This isn’t just a technical race. It’s a systems integration challenge, and the Brits might be ahead on deployment readiness.
I’m wondering: has DragonFire actually cracked maritime beam correction, or are we seeing PR dressed up as progress? If they’re using adaptive optics or real-time compensation tech, why hasn’t that been front and center?