The Ukrainian Minister of Defence, Rustem Umerov, has discussed providing Ukraine with a DragonFire laser weapon.
Interfax Ukraine reported that the new laser weapon, a new counter to UAV threats faced by the country, was discussed during Umerov's meetings with U.K. officials.
Umerov's former counterpart in the U.K., Grant Shapps, previously stated that they were open to providing Ukraine with DragonFire, which continues its firing tests.
DragonFire is currently integrated into a Wolfhound 6x6 truck, and its use on ships is expected to start in 2027.
Ukraine regularly encounters small—to medium-sized UAVs on the battlefield. At the platoon level, infantry uses shotguns to shoot down small ones, while air defence missiles and machine guns are often used against larger ones like Shaheed-136/Geran 2. These solutions are either cheap with limited effectiveness or vice versa.
Laser weapons offer high precision thanks to automated aim and no need to compensate for bullet drop. The firing costs are also extremely low, mostly consisting of the power required to keep the laser and sensors working. The U.K. MoD stated the laser weapon's cost as "£10 per shot", but this depends on firing duration and output power, which can be changed depending on need.
Turkiye and the U.S. are also in the process of fielding laser weapons. Turkiye's products include ROKETSAN ALKA with additional jammers, JARMOL for Gendarme, and GÖKBERK from ASELSAN as a part of Çelik Kubbe (Steel Dome) IADS.
The U.S. has fielded a 50 kW laser weapon on Stryker 8x8 AFV in the Middle East for combat testing.
Ukraine Might Receive British DragonFire Laser Weapons
