UKSuccessfully Tests High-Power Laser Weapon

The Britishhas successfully tested a high-powered laserdesigned to knock drones out of the air, the government announced on January 19th, as the weapon, called Dragonfire, passed its first field test, shooting down several drones over the Hebrides off the coast of Scotland.
Currently,strikes can be repelled by firing expensive missiles that cost up to $2 million each. In contrast, the UK government claims that the new laser costs "typically less than £10 per launch" to operate. Its maximum range is classified, but thecan "engage any visible target," the statement said.
"This sophisticatedhas the potential to revolutionize the battlefield by reducing reliance on expensive munitions while reducing the risk of collateral damage." British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said in a statement.
Anti-drone lasers are defensive weapons designed to disable or even cut through drones and subsonic missiles with greater accuracy and less damage than missiles in use today. A number of countries, including the U.S., Germany, Israel and Turkey, have developed different versions of the technology, although these systems have not been widely deployed.
This is due in part to the difficulty and high cost of manufacturing beam guides (which serve to direct the laser beam to the target). Anti-drone lasers also have a much shorter range than traditional anti-drone missiles, and they cannot deliver enough power fast enough to shoot down hypersonic objects moving five times faster than the speed of sound.
In addition, laser weapons must be fine-tuned. If the beam is too strong, interaction with the air will cause the beam to scatter, while if the beam is too weak, it will not be able to impact the target. In addition, water droplets can absorb or scatter the beam, making it perform poorly in poor weather conditions.
Gianluca Sarri, a professor of physics at Queen's University Belfast and a laser expert, said in an article published on The Conversation website that the weapon's accuracy over rough waters is also unclear. That means its use on rough seas could be limited.