The UK will not be providing Ukraine with the DragonFire laser weapon contrary to reports that its newly-approved military aid package includes the sophisticated system.
In a recent parliamentary session, labor minister John Martin McDonnell sought clarification from his fellow members of parliament as to whether the powerful laser weapon is bound for Kyiv.
Armed forces minister Leo Docherty responded by first saying that the new military aid will include more than 400 armored vehicles, 1,600 munitions, and additional Storm Shadow long-range missiles.
When it comes to the DragonFire, he said the technology is still under development and will be deployed by 2027, making it impossible for the British government to include the weapon in the aid package.
However, Docherty did not directly rule out the possibility of sending the high-energy weapon to Ukraine once development and testing are complete.
Previous Announcement
The idea of getting the DragonFire laser weapon into the hands of Ukrainian soldiers was first floated by UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps during his recent visit to a military research hub in Salisbury, England.
He claimed that the tech would have “huge ramifications” for the conflict, considering its ability to effectively neutralize drones.
Russia has been known to have used hundreds of drones to support combat, surveillance, or reconnaissance missions in Ukraine.
Britain's Ministry of Defense has shown footage from tests of the DragonFire long-range laser weapon.@DefenceHQ says that such advanced weaponry can "fundamentally change the battlespace."
Ukraine is ready to take and test the operation of such a laser complex in combat… pic.twitter.com/EI11lr0gRZ
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) March 12, 2024
Shapps said that although the DragonFire will not be operational until 2027, he wanted to speed up its production and make it available sooner.
“What I want to do is speed up what would usually be a very lengthy process, possibly up to 10 years, down to a much shorter timeframe and get it deployed, potentially on ships and on land,” he told reporters.
“Let’s say that it didn’t have to be 100 percent perfect in order for Ukrainians, perhaps, to get their hands on it. 2027 is still the date, as of this moment, but of course, I’ll look to see what we can do to speed it up.”
A Cost-Effective System
The UK’s DragonFire works by releasing an intense beam of energy that cuts through drones and other sophisticated aerial threats with improved precision.
It integrates cutting-edge components that help track moving targets with very high accuracy.
According to the UK defense ministry, the weapon can eliminate the need for expensive ammunition, as firing a 10-second laser burst only costs around $13.
The DragonFire will undergo a series of additional live-fire tests before it can be declared operationally ready.
