The Ministry of Defence may be about to complete a £30 million deal to develop a prototype laser weapon. The prototype that would will be assessed before a decision as to whether it would be useful in the UK’s arsenal. This project is part of a larger £800 million Defence Innovation Initiative which over the next ten years hopes to encourage new technology being incorporated into the UK’s defence. The initiative “will put the UK at the fore front of high energy laser systems”, said Dave Armstrong, executive group director technical and UK managing director of MBDA, a missile manufacturer.

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