U.K. Defense Ministry finalizes laser weapon system contract: Britain's Ministry of Defense has awarded MBDA and other industry partners a $36 million contract to produce a Laser Directed Energy Weapon demonstrator.
The contract, which aims to allow Britain's first laser weapon to enter service by the mid-2020s, will task contractors to assess the technology's capabilities. Project leaders hope to demonstrate the system in 2019.
"The U.K. has long enjoyed a reputation as a world leader in innovation and it is truly ground-breaking projects like the Laser Directed Energy Weapon which will keep this country ahead of the curve," U.K. Defense Procurement Minister Harriet Baldwin said in a press release. "Our commitment to innovation will deliver a safer and more prosperous Britain."
