Military laser powerful enough to hit £1 coin kilometre away blasts drone out of sky

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has declassified footage of its high-powered laser weapon destroying a drone in a trial.

Named DragonFire, the weapon is precise enough to hit a £1 coin from a kilometre away.

It is hoped that the test will pave the way for a low-cost alternative to missiles to shoot down targets like drones.

“The laser-directed energy weapon engages targets at the speed of light, using an intense beam of energy to cut through objects, leading to structural failure,” an MoD statement said.

The exact range of DragonFire remains classified, but the MoD says it can engage with any visible target.