THIS is the moment a laser gun shoots down drones for the first time from a British Army vehicle.
New footage released by the Ministry of Defence sensationally shows the invisible weapon take out a drone flying through the sky.
The laser can now be fired from a vehicle as long as it has power
A British Army Wolfhound, a heavily armoured patrol vehicle
The groundbreaking trials were done from an Army Wolfhound armoured vehicle
YouTube/DstlFootage showed the drone being shot out of the air[/caption]
The lightning fast beam costs “less than a cup of tea” per shot and never runs out of ammo – as long as it has power.
The test marks the first time the UK has managed to get a “lightweight portable” laser onto a vehicle and fire successfully.
Infrared footage shows the ‘green’ beam firing from the vehicle in what looks like it could be out of Star Wars.
Defence Secretary John Healey revealed the “ground breaking trials” at the MoD’s Porton Down test range in Wiltshire.
Healey said: “I want to take the politics out of national security so where there is important work begun under the previous government, we will take it forward in the interest of national security.
“That is why we are renewing important partnerships with industry and continuing to push technological boundaries.”
His predecessor Grant Shapps said Britain would fast track laser weapons to Ukraine.
The so-called High Energy Laser Weapon system was mounted on an Army Wolfhound armoured vehicle.
The MoD said the tests “saw the laser weapon neutralise targets at the speed of light from more than 1km away, with each shot costing less than a cup of tea”.
It takes two soldiers to operate and less than two weeks to learn how to use it, the MoD added.
Soldiers are due to test it in “real-world scenarios” later this year.
The laser gun’s maker Raytheon said “lightweight and portable” and had already downed more than 400 targets in similar tests in America.
The tests were led by the UK’s Team Hersa, which includes boffins from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory with support from six UK firms.
Matt Cork, the project’s director, said the tests were a “pivotal moment” in the race to make the Army fit for future wars.
YouTube/DstlA clip posted showed the drone being tracked[/caption]
YouTube/DstlInfrared cameras caught the laser firing[/caption]
He said: “This technology offers a precise, powerful and cost-effective means to defeat aerial threats, ensuring greater protection for our forces.”
Raytheon said the laser was already “certified for use in combat” with US forces.
They added: “The system has logged more than 40,000 testing hours and downed more than 400 targets.
“The next phase of testing for the UK will allow British Army soldiers to familiarise themselves with the system and refine requirements for future capability.”
The Raytheon laser is codenamed Project Swinton and can be loaded onto almost any military vehicle, the MoD said.
It follows successful tests of the UK’s DragonFire laser designed to be fired from warships.
Declassified footage released in March showed that laser gun in action being fired against aerial targets in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides.
The true range of DragonFire’s laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) system is currently classified, but we know that it can fire at targets that are at least two miles away.
YouTube/DstlOne sign warned people that the laser was firing[/caption]
YouTube/DstlAn operator was shown using a controller[/caption]