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The UK Military Is Going To Build Its Very Own Prototype Laser Cannon

It's stranger than fiction.
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By 

Tech reporter

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From Star Wars’ Death Star to Star Trek’s phaser, science fiction is littered with laser weaponry. 

But high-energy cannons aren’t confined to the realm of fantasy. The US has been testing the tech for years, and now the UK is set to follow suit.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has just awarded a £30m contract to a group of European defence firms to develop a prototype laser weapon by 2019.

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US NAVY / Reuters

It’s expected to be able to identify and track targets at different distances, over land and water and in varied weather conditions.

The Minister for Defence Procurement, Harriet Baldwin, told the BBC that “truly ground-breaking projects like the Laser Directed Energy Weapon” would “keep this country ahead of the curve”.

A spokesperson for the MoD added that the technology hadn’t been designed to counter a specific threat. But it’s understood to be able to destroy drones, missiles and roadside bombs.

The cannon, which will be developed by a consortium of companies called UK Dragonfire, could come into service as soon as the mid-2020s. It will be demonstrated in 2019.

Back in 2014, the US Navy tested a devastating laser system onboard one of its warships. A YouTube video shows the laser firing beams at targets on boats several hundred metres away. It’s also capable of shooting drones out of the sky.

And in autumn 2015, the US Air Force announced that its fighter jets could be equipped with laser cannons by 2020.

Science fiction weapons that actually exist

Science Fiction Weapons That Actually Exist
Invisible Death Ray(01 of06)
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This is the US Military's Active Denial System, or ADS. It's a truck-mounted high-powered microwave weapon that when directed at a person or crowd can produce a severe burning sensation of the skin. The Pentagon worked on the system in the hopes of finding a non-lethal crowd control weapon that could replace the water cannon. It's non-radioactive, non-lethal and safe to use, however it has caused controversy over the effects it causes to the body.
Hypersonic Missile(02 of06)
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The X-51A WaverRider is a terrifying response to America's increasing military commitments around the globe. Using a revolutionary scram jet engine, the missile is able to reach the hypersonic speed of Mach 5. Once trials are completed it will give the US Military a missile that can hit any target in the world from the US, within an hour.
Giant Laser Cannon(03 of06)
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The laser cannon has arrived, no longer will it be relegated to SyFy TV shows and Star Wars. The US Navy's directed energy weapon fires a highly concentrated laser at incoming targets and is capable of destroying drones, small boats and missiles. While the laser is highly advanced the military designed it to be easy to use with game controllers being the main form of input.
Robot Soldiers(04 of06)
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The QinetiQ MAARS or Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System, is essentially a small robot tank. It's a track-based robot that happens to contain a large machine gun, grenade launcher and a myriad of targeting sensors. While the weapons are controlled by a human, the robot has been designed for defence and patrol so it'll use in-built AI to help it follow troops or patrol a base.
Self-Aiming Rifle(05 of06)
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The TrackingPoint XS1 poses a worrying question for the future of armed warfare. With a state-of-the-art connected scope, the holder simply tags the target and the gun's sensors work out distance, wind speed and elevation showing you exactly where you need to aim. Gone are the days of sharpshooters, replaced instead with scopes that'll work through Google Glass and help you fire through walls.
The Railgun(06 of06)
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The railgun started life as a mythical weapon that often appeared in video games and sometimes showed its face in films (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen). Using electromagnets to hurl a metal slug at hypersonic speeds, this weapon is the future of artillery and small arms, and now the US Navy has one. Constructed by BAE Systems, the railgun prototype can fire a metal slug at over Mach 6 and at a target over 110 kilometres away.
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