Warships: Lasers
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to accelerate the in service date of the DragonFire system on Royal Navy vessels during the period after 2027.
Answered by Maria Eagle
The Ministry of Defence has committed to accelerating DragonFire Laser Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) into operational capability by equipping four Navy Destroyers with this world leading system, starting in 2027. By doing this we are bringing laser technology to the Navy around five years faster than previously planned, which will protect our Armed Forces, and let us learn by doing, helping us to make continual improvements on areas like integration, software, and overall lethality. These learnings will support development of both the DragonFire system, and the choices we make on future DEW capabilities.
As announced in the Spring Statement, additional funding for Defence will be directed toward advancing technology including guaranteeing the in service date for DragonFire. This approach to transitioning novel technology into capability is an example of how we are ensuring we translate the UK’s technological strengths into operational advantage at pace.
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