Moment laser gun shoots drone out of the sky from a British Army truck for the first time – costing less than a cup of tea per shot

THIS is the moment a laser gun shoots down drones from a British Army vehicle for the first time.

New images released by the Ministry of Defense sensationally show the invisible weapon taking down a drone flying through the sky.

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The ultra-fast beam costs “less than a cup of tea” per shot and never runs out of ammo – as long as it has power.

The test marks the first time the UK has been able to place a “lightweight and portable” laser in a vehicle and fire it successfully.

Infrared images show the ‘green’ beam fired from the vehicle in what appears to be from Star Wars.

Defense Secretary John Healey revealed the “groundbreaking tests” at the MoD proving ground at Porton Down in Wiltshire.

Healey said: “I want to take politics out of national security so that where there is important work started under the previous government, we take it forward in the interests of national security.

“That’s why we’re renewing important industry partnerships and continuing to push technological boundaries.”

His predecessor, Grant Shapps, said Britain would quickly send laser weapons to Ukraine.

The so-called high-energy laser weapon system was mounted on an Army Wolfhound armored vehicle.

The Ministry of Defense said the tests “saw the laser weapon neutralize targets at the speed of light from more than 1km away, with each shot costing less than a cup of tea”.

It takes two soldiers to operate and less than two weeks to learn how to use it, the Defense Ministry added.

Soldiers are expected to test it in “real-world scenarios” later this year.

The laser weapon’s manufacturer, Raytheon, said it was “lightweight and portable” and had already shot down more than 400 targets in similar tests in the United States.

The trials were led by the UK Hersa Team, which includes experts from the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory with support from six UK companies.

Matt Cork, the project director, said the tests were a “pivotal moment” in the race to prepare the Army for future wars.

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He said: “This technology offers a precise, powerful and cost-effective means of defeating aerial threats, ensuring greater protection for our forces.”

Raytheon said the laser was already “certified for combat use” with US forces.

They added: “The system has logged more than 40,000 hours of testing and shot down more than 400 targets.

“The next phase of testing for the UK will allow British Army soldiers to familiarize themselves with the system and refine requirements for future capabilities.”

The Raytheon laser is codenamed Project Swinton and can be carried on almost any military vehicle, the Ministry of Defense said.

It follows successful trials of the UK’s DragonFire laser, designed to be fired from warships.

Declassified footage released in March showed a laser weapon in action being fired at aerial targets in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides.

The true range of DragonFire’s laser directed energy weapon system (LDEW) is currently classified, but we know it can fire at targets that are at least two miles away.

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