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DragonFire is an advanced defense system developed by England. Photo/Reuters
LONDON – Britain has shown off a new laser weapon that its military says can destroy deadly missile or aircraft defenses at a cost of around USD 13 or Rp. 200 thousand per shot. That could potentially save tens of millions of dollars over the current cost of missile interceptors that could do the job.
Newly released video of a trial of what the UK Ministry of Defense calls DragonFire, a laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) system, captures what the ministry said was the successful use of a laser against an air target during a January demonstration in Scotland.
“This has the potential to be a game changer for air defense,” the video says as a bright laser beam pierces the night sky above a shooting range on the remote Hebrides islands, creating a ball of light as it reaches its target, reported by CNN.
5 Advantages of the DragonFire Laser Defense System, One of which is Cheap and Cheap, Only IDR 200 Thousand per Shot
1. Has High Precision
The British Ministry of Defense said DragonFire can precisely hit targets as small as a coin “over long distances,” but did not provide further details. The exact range of the weapon remains a secret, he said.
“The laser beam can penetrate metal causing structural failure or greater impact if the warhead is targeted,” the UK Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
And it is claimed that they also succeeded in achieving their targets at a very small cost compared to the price of current air defense missiles.
2. The cost is only IDR 200 thousand per shot
Photo/Reuters
The Ministry of Defense estimates that the price of firing a 10-second laser is around USD 13 or IDR 200 thousand. In contrast, the Standard Missile-2 used by the United States Navy for air defense costs more than $2 million per shot.
“This has the potential to be a long-term, low-cost alternative to certain tasks currently performed by missiles,” the UK Ministry of Defense said in a statement in January.
3. Proven Effective in the Wars in Ukraine and Yemen
The cost of air defense missiles has been a hot topic in defense circles in recent years as low-cost drones have demonstrated their effectiveness on the battlefield in Ukraine and in Houthi rebel attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Analysts question how long the US, UK and their partners can continue using multi-million dollar missiles against Houthi drones that in some cases can be had for under $100,000.
Meanwhile, expensive air defense systems from Western allies are critical to Ukraine's ability to defend itself against Russian missile and drone attacks.
“Low-cost drones and rockets have changed the economic calculus of attack and defense in favor of those who use unmanned systems and cheap munitions in large numbers to defeat more sophisticated air and missile defenses,” said James Black, assistant director of defense and security for the US Armed Forces. think tank RAND Europe, wrote in a blog post in January.