Laser to Capture Drones at '17,000 Won'... UK "Supporting Ukraine"

UK Expresses Willingness to Support Laser Weapon Development
Precise Enough to Hit a Coin 1km Away

There are reports that a high-powered laser weapon being developed by the UK could be used in the Ukraine war. It is known that the cost per shot of this weapon is only about 17,000 KRW.

On the 12th (local time), the British BBC reported that Grant Shapps, the UK Secretary of State for Defence, expressed his intention to support Ukraine with a laser weapon called 'DragonFire.'

Test launch scene of 'Dragonfire' [Image source=Captured from the UK Ministry of Defence website]

According to the UK Ministry of Defence, DragonFire boasts the precision to hit a one-pound coin located 1 km away. Additionally, the cost per shot is less than 10 pounds (approximately 17,000 KRW). However, while such laser weapons could bring significant changes to the battlefield, they have the drawback of being able to fire only at targets within line of sight.

The latest version of the SM-2 fleet air defense missile, known to be used by the US Navy in the Red Sea to intercept missiles and drones launched by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, costs 2.1 million dollars (about 2.9 billion KRW) per unit. In this context, the UK side expects that this inexpensive laser weapon could become an alternative to missiles that shoot down targets such as drones.

The UK Ministry of Defence initially planned to produce DragonFire by 2032, but after a successful test firing against aerial targets in Scotland last January, the schedule was moved up to 2027. Furthermore, Secretary Shapps said, "This weapon does not need to be 100% perfect for Ukraine to get it," and added, "We want to increase production speed so it can be used sooner."

The Russian suicide drone 'Shahed' flying in the sky [Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, drones have emerged as major offensive weapons for both sides in the Ukraine war.

Russia has deployed 2,000 Shahed drones imported from Iran on the battlefield. Iran is known to have recently provided these drones, which were previously used to attack Iraqi Kurds, to Russia.

The Shahed drone is a suicide bomb-type drone that carries explosives and rushes toward targets like a missile. It can fly up to about 2,000 km and can loiter over the target area. However, it also has the drawback of a top speed of about 185 km/h, which is not very fast.