The Ministry of Defence has indicated that the Royal Navy’s DragonFire laser weapon may be deployed across a wider range of warships than previously confirmed, with Type 26 and Type 31 frigates now explicitly referenced as potential hosts for the system.
In a written parliamentary answer published on 27 January, Defence Minister Luke Pollard confirmed that DragonFire remains on schedule to begin delivery from 2027, but declined to name specific ships that will receive the weapon beyond the first installation. He said the system’s modular design means it can be moved between platforms as operational requirements change.
“DRAGONFIRE is a modular capability providing the Royal Navy agility as to when and where it is deployed, therefore it is not possible to list specific ships into which the capability will be installed,” Pollard said.
While the Ministry of Defence has previously confirmed that the first DragonFire system will be installed on a Type 45 destroyer in 2027, the latest response goes further by linking the weapon directly to the Navy’s evolving mission module approach. Pollard stated that “the inclusion of the mission modules concept across the Hybrid Navy, which is already being delivered in the Type 26 and Type 31 Frigates, provides maximum tactical flexibility as to where the Navy could deploy this weapon.”
That language, in my view at least, marks the clearest indication yet that the laser system is not being treated solely as a Type 45 capability, but as one that could be integrated across multiple surface combatant classes as the Hybrid Navy concept matures.
Earlier parliamentary answers had focused narrowly on the destroyer fleet. In November, Pollard told MPs that “initially, DragonFire, a state-of-the-art laser weapon, will enhance the capabilities of the Type 45 fleet with the first DragonFire unit being delivered in 2027.” A further response in December confirmed only that “the Ministry of Defence plans to install the first DragonFire system on a Royal Navy vessel in 2027,” with additional systems dependent on the Defence Investment Plan.
The answers to the written questions suggest a phased approach, with initial deployment on a Type 45 followed by wider availability across ships equipped to support modular payloads. Type 26 and Type 31 frigates are already being designed around flexible mission bays and containerised systems, making them structurally better suited to rapid integration of emerging technologies such as directed-energy weapons.
The DragonFire system, developed by a UK industry consortium led by MBDA, Leonardo and QinetiQ, is intended to provide close-range air defence against threats including drones and small airborne targets. The Royal Navy has previously described the weapon as offering extremely low cost per shot and the ability to complement missile-based air defence rather than replace it, and the repeated emphasis on modular deployment and the explicit reference to Type 26 and Type 31 frigates signals a broader ambition than earlier statements suggested.
