Overview
- The Ministry of Defence signed a £316 million deal with MBDA UK to begin delivering DragonFire for Royal Navy deployment from 2027, five years earlier than planned.
- Recent Hebrides tests recorded above-the-horizon tracking and the destruction of drones flying up to about 650 km/h, with claimed precision to hit a £1 coin at roughly one kilometre.
- Officials highlight an operating cost of about £10 per shot as a potential counter to high-priced missile intercepts on air-defense ships.
- Key performance figures such as maximum engagement range and output power remain undisclosed, and the first ship fit will evaluate power, cooling, motion and weather effects at sea.
- MBDA leads development with QinetiQ and Leonardo, the program ties into the UK Strategic Defence Review, and reporting cites support for nearly 600 skilled jobs across England and Scotland.