UPDATE 1-UK beefs up Royal Navy counter-drone tech with $413 million laser contract

Britain on Thursday awarded a 316-million-pound ($413 million) contract to missile company MBDA UK to provide DragonFire laser systems for the Royal Navy, under a plan to add new technology to ships to counter potential drone attacks.

Below are key facts about the contract: • Laser system costs 10 pounds per shot, making it much more cost-effective compared to traditional missile systems which cost hundreds of thousands of pounds

• DragonFire will be fitted to a Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer by 2027, government statement says • The technology recently shot down high-speed drones in new trials, government adds

• MBDA UK will work in partnership with Britain's QinetiQ and Italy's Leonardo on DragonFire • Contract will sustain 590 jobs across the UK, government says

($1 = 0.7656 pounds)