Case Study

Transforming future weapons technology for UK MOD DRAGONFIRE is a consortium working to enable a Laser Directed Energy Weapon

Capability Demonstration Programme

Executive summary QinetiQ is proud to be part of UK DRAGONFIRE, a consortium UK“ DRAGONFIRE will put the UK at the working to achieve a significant step change in the UK’s high energy systems capability. Through a new laser capability forefront of high energy laser systems, demonstrator programme Team DRAGONFIRE will provide the basis capitalising on the experience of joint for technology-driven operational advantage for UK MOD. The MOD/Industry working in the complex programme will mature the key technologies for a high energy defensive laser weapon system, enabling the engagement of weapons environment. representative targets on land and at sea in 2019. This will provide Dave Armstrong, Executive Group Director Technical” the body of evidence for future procurement decisions alongside and UK Managing Director of MBDA developing UK industrial capability and know-how, so that collectively the UK can respond more effectively to both threats and the emerging business opportunities in the UK and overseas. The brief Our coherent beam-combining technology offers a laser system that can deliver To enable transformation of future substantial benefit over other beam weapons technology and help develop combining technologies. Using our design the UK’s first laser weapon. Dstl vision is for a coherently combined fibre laser, and for a new laser capability demonstrator the associated phase control system, we programme, providing an end-to-end will provide a precision laser source that system demonstration – from target can be directed onto a dynamic target acquisition to destruction – with the and achieve an enhanced power density system ready to deploy for testing on on a target in the presence of turbulence. MOD Ranges by 2019. UK DRAGONFIRE is a This expertise has been developed over collaborative consortium, led by Our solution many years in partnership with the UK MOD. MBDA with QinetiQ and QinetiQ’s role is to provide the high-power laser technology for the programme and, Outcomes and benefits Leonardo-Finmeccanica, which using our testing and evaluation expertise, Beam combining is a technology that has brought together the best we will conduct trials over land and water is able to achieve enhanced power of UK industry expertise to at various Trials sites that we operate for densities at target, reducing defeat times UK MOD under the Long Term Partnering and increasing engagement range. The deliver the highly challenging Agreement (LTPA) to ensure a successful QinetiQ solution for the high-power laser and complex Laser CDP. GKN, demonstration. has a scalable architecture that supports Arke, BAE Systems and increasing the number of laser channels, We are the only UK company to offering a route map towards systems Marshall ADG are among the successfully and safely operate a high suitable for maritime, land and air use. organisations providing energy laser weapon in the UK. Our team specialist capability. has direct experience of high power fibre The DRAGONFIRE consortium is lasers and therefore a clear understanding successfully enabling our MOD customer of the requirements that will be placed to achieve their goals for the programme. upon the fundamental optical sources for For more information the Laser Directed Energy Weapon. Contact: [email protected]

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