Ministers keep quiet on laser weapons beyond DragonFire

UK Defence Ministers are declining to provide details on directed energy weapon programmes beyond the publicly acknowledged DragonFire high-energy laser. Parliamentary questions have elicited responses citing national security sensitivity around next-generation laser weapon development. DragonFire has completed shore-based trials and is being evaluated for shipborne and ground-based integration. The silence suggests classified laser weapon programmes are in advanced development beyond the DragonFire demonstrator.