Britain could give Ukraine laser weapons that can hit targets as small as a coin at a distance of 1km.

During his visit to London (UK) on 11/10, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov had important discussions with his British counterpart John Healey about the deployment of British DragonFire laser weapons to support Ukraine in countering threats from Russia.

Mr. Umerov confirmed that discussions are underway, and shared about the progress of this cooperation project. “We are actively working on this project and look forward to sharing more information soon.” he said in a television interview.

DragonFire is a British laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) developed by the British DragonFire Corporation. (Photo source: Army Recognition)

The DragonFire laser weapon, developed in the UK, is seen as an innovative and cost-effective solution to countering drone attacks, especially in the context of the war with Russia. Designed to hit air and sea targets, DragonFire has undergone several successful tests, including one in January 2024 in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, demonstrating its ability to strike accurately from a distance of up to 1 km.

This weapon uses special British "beam combination" technology, allowing energy to be concentrated on one point, increasing combat effectiveness, even with small targets like a coin weighing only 1 pound can be hit.

DragonFire was initially developed with funding of up to £100 million from Department of Defense The UK and private industry partners include MBDA UK, Leonardo UK, QinetiQ and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). Despite being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, trials are set to start in 2022, bringing DragonFire closer to real deployment.

DragonFire is designed as a cost-effective alternative to missiles, with a cost per shot of just £10. This makes it a useful and cost-effective tool for defence forces, especially when faced with large-scale drone or missile attacks.

The weapon is scheduled to be deployed on Royal Navy ships as early as 2027, accelerating an initial timeline of 2032. The Ministry of Defense also stressed the system's versatility, as DragonFire can be mounted on a variety of platforms, including armored vehicles, such as the current Wolfhound.

In addition to talking about DragonFire, Mr. Umerov and Mr. Healey also discussed defense contracts and investments in the Ukrainian defense industry, and shared views on air defense issues. “We are having discussions on air defense and hope to be able to share more information in the near future,” Mr. Umerov said.

With advances in laser weapons technology, Ukraine could soon have an important new tool in defending the country, minimizing damage from attacks and opening up the prospect of stronger defense cooperation between Ukraine and allied nations.