Operational Laser Weapons 10 Years Away, Says UK MoD
But a capability demonstration has been funded and scheduled for 2019.
MBDA concept of a laser directed energy weapon for point defense.
MBDA concept of a laser directed energy weapon for point defense.

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed the award of a contract worth £30 million ($36 million) for a laser-directed energy weapon (LDEW) to a British industrial consortium named Dragonfire and led by MBDA. The project will assess innovative LDEW technologies and approaches, culminating in a demonstration of a point defense system from incoming fire  in 2019. If the demo is successful, the first laser weapons would come into service in the mid-2020s, the MoD says.