MBDA, the prime contractor for the Royal Navy’s DragonFire laser weapon program, has awarded industry partner QinetiQ a £67 million ($78 million) contract to continue development of the system’s laser source.
The contract follows a series of successful DragonFire trials conducted in November 2025 at the QinetiQ-operated MOD Hebrides range in Scotland, where the system destroyed fast-moving drone targets in what marked the UK’s first above-the-horizon laser engagement.
DragonFire is scheduled to be integrated aboard Royal Navy warships—most notably the Type 45 destroyers—from 2027, significantly enhancing the fleet’s air defense capabilities.
Originally unveiled as a prototype in 2017, the laser weapon was designed to counter high-speed and low-cost aerial threats with an estimated cost per shot of just £10 ($13). The system has progressed through multiple successful trials since July 2022.
In November 2025, MBDA secured a £316 million ($425 million) contract to deliver and integrate DragonFire across Royal Navy platforms.
The MBDA-led consortium includes QinetiQ, responsible for developing and refining the high-energy laser source, and Leonardo, which provides advanced sensors, tracking systems, and precision targeting capabilities.
While earlier plans envisioned operational deployment in the mid-2030s, the UK Ministry of Defence accelerated the timeline in 2024, targeting a 2027 in-service date in response to rapidly evolving threat environments.
