The UK has for the first time test-fired a laser beam from an army vehicle, destroying targets at the speed of light from more than a kilometre away, the defence secretary has revealed.
A single blast of the laser weapon – capable of zapping drones out of the sky – costs less than a cup of tea, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
If approved to be used by the army, it would become a far more affordable way of defeating threats than missiles and bullets.
Described by the MoD as “groundbreaking”, trials on the laser weapon were carried out at a Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) range in Porton Down, Wiltshire.
The laser, developed by the American defence company Raytheon, could be mounted on to various different armoured vehicles, according to a statement.
Soldiers will start trialling the futuristic weapon later in the year.
Details about the laser trial emerged at the same time as Defence Secretary John Healey announced a £6.5bn partnership to buy a range of new, increasingly sophisticated missiles over the next decade from the British-French defence company MBDA.
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Confirmation of the plan to replenish the UK’s stockpiles of Storm Shadow cruise and other missiles came despite the new government launching a sweeping review of defence last week.
It is the type of weapon that Britain has given in large numbers to Ukraine for the war against Russia and a deal had been worked on during the previous Tory government.
Mr Healey, speaking at a major airshow in Farnborough, said it was important to take politics out of national security.
“So where there is important work begun under the previous government, we will take it forward,” he said.
“That is why we are renewing important partnerships with industry and continuing to push technological boundaries. This will drive prosperity and create skilled jobs across the country.”
Yet, the government again failed to guarantee the future of a separate multi-billion-pound programme to build the Royal Air Force’s next generation Tempest fighter jet with Japan and Italy.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who was also at the airshow, was asked whether he would guarantee that project’s future, but he just stressed its importance and deferred to the strategic review, which will report next year.
Sky News revealed on Friday that there have been doubts about the fighter jet programme.