According to Forbes Magazine, the price tag for shooting down 24 Houthi missiles and drones in just one day, this informal, likely conservative estimate, would be a bit more than US$17 million.Now, what if I was to tell you that each one of those incoming weapons could be shot down at a cost of £10 apiece! That's right, 10 British pounds. (Roughly CAD$17.)This week, a British laser gun has blown up drones in a landmark test for the space age anti-missile weapon, British media outlets reported.The formidable prototype weapon dubbed "DragonFire" was fired at a remote range in Scotland’s outer Hebrides — with each shot costing just £10.The gun — designed to shoot down missiles, planes, drones and even satellites with "pin point accuracy" — is running five years behind schedule and has cost more than £140 million to develop.But the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) said it cost just a British tenner per shot to fire.By now, the total cost of deterring the Houthis is possibly in excess of US$80 million or more — a heavy toll on US taxpayers.All to protect ships in the Gulf and Israel.The US and British destroyers have principally used missile interceptors to shoot down Houthi missiles and drones at range before they can reach their ship targets.They can also use a mix of five-inch radar-guided artillery shells, guided Phalanx CIWS 20mm shells and some counter-UAV electronic warfare measures.According to Forbes, the Houthis’ drones can be produced and deployed in large numbers for unit prices estimated to be from several thousand dollars to tens-of-thousands each. The Iranian supplied and funded cruise missiles and ballistic missiles fired by the Yemeni rebels likely cost in the high five-figures per missile..On the other side, the Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) missile interceptors that most experts agree that U.S. destroyers are largely using cost US $2.1 million each. American destroyers are also using the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM), designed to fire at targets less than five nautical miles away. It costs about US $1.8 million per shot.The five-inch air burst artillery shells the destroyers employ cost around US $2,500 per shot. The 20mm rounds are likely rarely used but they run about US $30 per shell.Meanwhile, the highly focused laser beam can hit a dollar coin from more than a mile away — and it needs no ammunition, using mirrors to focus heat on a specific point.The DSTL, based in Wiltshire, said it blasts targets at the speed of light.Its “intense beam of light” can cut through targets and explode missile warheads.This most recent test means plans for the laser in combat can be accelerated for use against rising threats around the globe.Defence Secretary Grant Shapps dubbed the new laser as "cutting-edge" and said weapons such as it will help "revolutionize the battlespace."DSTL added: “Firing it for 10 seconds is the cost equivalent of using a regular heater for just an hour and therefore it has the potential to be a long-term low-cost alternative to certain tasks missiles currently carry out.""The cost of operating the laser is typically less than £10 per shot.”Its creators had struggled to produce a super-hot laser without burning the gun that fired it.They also feared that laser has a potentially unlimited range, so could hit aircraft, satellite or space debris when it was fired — but Shapps praised its ability to lower the risk of collateral damage..“This type of cutting-edge weaponry has the potential to revolutionize the battlespace by reducing the reliance on expensive ammunition, while also lowering the risk of collateral damage," he said.“Investments with industry partners in advanced technologies like DragonFire are crucial in a highly contested world, helping us maintain the battle-winning edge and keep the nation safe.”It comes after a NATO military chief warned British troops need to prepare for possible conscription as a war between Putin and NATO looms.Fears of a Third World War are mounting and military experts fear Britain will have no choice but to put boots on the ground.By no coincidence, a record number of US and allied troops will launch a new series of war games next week in Europe, where top NATO commanders said a “whole of society” effort is needed to prepare for potential conflict with Russia, Stars & Stripes reported.US Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, NATO’s supreme allied commander and head of US European Command, said some 90,000 allied troops are slated to take part in Steadfast Defender, which would make it the largest gathering of troops for an exercise on the continent in decades.The drills taking place in the Baltics, Poland and other countries will include reinforcements from North America.— with files from Forbes Magazine & The SUN
