MBDA has awarded QinetiQ a £67 million ($78 million) contract to continue work on the laser source for the Royal Navy’s DragonFire directed-energy weapon, for which MBDA serves as prime contractor.
The award follows DragonFire’s successful live-fire trials in November 2025 at the MOD Hebrides test range in Scotland, operated by QinetiQ. During the trials, the system successfully engaged fast-moving drone targets, achieving the UK’s first above-the-horizon laser intercept.
DragonFire is planned for integration on Royal Navy warships, including Type 45 destroyers, starting in 2027 as part of efforts to strengthen naval air defense.
First revealed publicly in 2017, DragonFire was developed to defeat high-speed, low-cost threats at a cost per engagement estimated at around £10 ($13). The system has undergone multiple successful demonstrations since initial trials in July 2022.
The program reached a major milestone in November 2025, when MBDA secured a £316 million ($425 million contract to deliver and integrate DragonFire systems across the fleet.
The MBDA-led consortium brings together QinetiQ, which leads the development of the high-energy laser source, and Leonardo, which supplies the sensors, tracking, and precision-engagement technologies.
Although the program was initially expected to enter service in the mid-2030s, the UK Ministry of Defence accelerated the schedule in 2024, aiming to deploy DragonFire by 2027 to address rapidly emerging threats.
