LONDON, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Britain's military is close to testing one of the most sophisticated weapons ever developed, a laser gun that has turned science fiction into science fact, Defense Secretary Michael Fallon revealed Wednesday.
Military scientists at the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) have been working on a laser defense system since the 1970s, the Ministry of Defense (MOD) said.
Fallon did not disclose when the first real test of its new Dragonfire laser weapon will take place, but he said it would be soon, adding it would take place on a British warship.
The MOD said testing of Dragonfire will culminate in a major demonstration in 2019.
A prototype of the new Dragonfire laser directed energy weapon made its public debut Wednesday on the Royal Navy stand at Defense and Security Equipment International 2017 exhibition at the Excel Center in London.
Addressing an audience at the exhibition Wednesday, Fallon said: "Science fiction has become science fact.
"We've come up with a bit of kit that will appeal as much to the accountant as the warrior because, instead of spending hundreds of thousands on missiles the energy in a high-intensity laser costs pennies. Its state-of-the-art precision targeting system that can knock out a target up to six kilometers away."
Giving a boost to Britain's defense industry, Fallon told the audience: "As we look to life post Brexit and seek to spread our wings across the world, it's high time we do more to compete for a share of this international export market."
He said Britain was continuing to perform strongly in the international market, securing defense orders worth almost 7.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2016, retaining Britain's position as the second largest defense exporter globally over the last ten years.
