Britain orders first DragonFire laser air defense systems

The United Kingdom has disclosed the approximate cost of the DragonFire laser air defense system as part of a contract for the first two systems to be delivered to the Royal Navy.

This is reported by the UK Defense Journal with reference to the announced tender.

The Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom plans to spend up to £240 million on the first two DragonFire laser systems in the ship version, which is equivalent to $324 million.

The contract is expected to last from November 3, 2025 to March 31, 2028, with an option for expansion until December 2032, and will provide for the delivery of two shipboard units classified as goods under CPV code 38636100 (lasers).

This procurement is the first step toward deploying DragonFire at sea following the government’s March commitment to install the system on four vessels by 2027.

The program will be funded within the previously allocated budget of £2.2 billion for defense. Chancellor Rachel Reeves called the money a “down payment” on the plans to increase defense spending to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2027, with a particular focus on directed energy weapons and artificial intelligence.

DragonFire is a British 50-kilowatt energy laser air defense system developed on behalf of the British Ministry of Defense by an industrial team led by MBDA UK, Leonardo UK and QinetiQ.

The system was designed to destroy drones, but now the British military commanders consider it powerful enough to intercept artillery munitions, cruise missiles, and even ballistic missiles.

The DragonFire system works by focusing 37 1.5 kW laser beams using mirrors into a single beam to amplify power.

The system combines a 50 kW fiber-combined laser with a high-precision beam-directing turret and an advanced electro-optical sensor system.

A huge advantage of the system over classical air and missile defense systems is its low cost of operation. According to the British Ministry of Defense, the cost of a shot ranges from $15. For comparison, the cost of modern anti-aircraft missiles can range up to several million dollars per unit.

Following the tests in April 2024, it became known that the UK Ministry of Defense plans to transfer the DragonFire system to Ukraine as part of strengthening its air defense.