Royal Navy to Arm Type 45 Destroyers with Game-Changing DragonFire Laser by 2027

London, November 22, 2025 – Britain’s cutting-edge DragonFire laser weapon is set to enter frontline service five years ahead of schedule, after the Ministry of Defence awarded MBDA UK a £316 million contract to install the system on the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers.

The high-energy laser, capable of neutralising drones and fast-moving aerial threats at the speed of light and for a fraction of the cost of traditional missiles, will be fitted to the first Daring-class destroyer in 2027. Ultimately, four of the six Type 45s will receive the revolutionary directed-energy weapon.

The accelerated timeline follows a string of spectacular trials in the Hebrides, where DragonFire successfully tracked and destroyed drones travelling at speeds exceeding 650 km/h — including, for the first time in UK history, targets over the horizon.

Defence officials hailed the breakthrough as a “pivotal moment” for British naval power, giving the fleet a near-unlimited magazine to counter the growing menace of low-cost drone swarms and missiles.

With DragonFire, a 30-second burst costs roughly the same as running a household heater for ten seconds — a stark contrast to the £1–2 million price tag of each Sea Viper missile currently used by the Type 45s.

The programme marks the UK’s return to the forefront of directed-energy weapons and delivers a potent new layer of defence for Britain’s carrier strike groups.