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The U.K. military has successfully tested a high - mogul optical maser weapon designed to knock drones out of the sky .
The optical maser weapon , dubbed " DragonFire , " passed its first field of operation test by shooting down several laggard over the Hebrides off the sea-coast of Scotland , the U.K. government announced on Jan. 19 .
The DragonFire laser shooting at an aerial target.
presently , drone strikes can be repulse by give notice expensive missiles that can cost up to $ 2 million each . But the cost of operate the newfangled optical maser is " typically less than £ 10 ( l $ 13 ) per shot " , the U.K. government claimed . Its maximum range is classified , but the arm can " engage with any visible target , " the statement noted .
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" This type of cutting - edge weaponry has the potential difference to revolutionise the battlespace by reducing the reliance on expensive ammunition , while also lowering the risk of collateral damage , " Grant Shapps , the U.K. defense secretaire , say in the assertion .
Anti - drone lasers are defensive weapons designed to disenable or even slit through drone and subsonic missiles with more accuracy and less destruction than the missiles used today . Several countries have developed versions of the engineering science — including the U.S. , Germany , Israel and Turkey — although these system are n’t widely deployed .
This is partly owing to the difficulty and in high spirits monetary value of manufacturing radio beam theatre director , whichguide the laser shots to the mark . Anti - drone lasers also have a much shorter range of a function than conventional anti - drone missile , and they ’re not able to deliver enough major power quickly enough to bourgeon down hypersonic objects that move five fourth dimension faster than the speed of sound .
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In addition , optical maser weapons have to be finely tuned . If the beam is too intense , interactions with the air can cause the beam to break up , but if the beam is too weak , the target remains unaffected . Additionally , water droplets can absorb or scatter the beam , take a leak it do poorly in untoward weather condition atmospheric condition .
The weapon ’s accuracy on choppy water is also indecipherable , saidGianluca Sarri , a physics prof and optical maser expert at Queen ’s University Belfast , in an article in The Conversation , meaning its utilization on rocky seas could be limited .
" It is like test to hit the bullseye on a dart board while support on a balance control board , " Sarri wrote . " However , this will only affect the accuracy of the weapon , without increasing the hazard of collateral damage . "
The U.K. administration said it will continue to invest in laser defense technologies and push fore plan that will see them brought into serve , although when and how they will be developed further rest to be seen .
