British soldiers have used a UK-developed invisible radio wave weapon to defeat "drone swarms" in what officials described as the largest counter-drone trial of its kind. The experimental weapon – a type of Radiofrequency Directed Energy Weapon (RF DEW) – was tested at a military range in west Wales.
It successfully tracked, targeted and neutralised multiple drones simultaneously, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The weapon system demonstrator is a type of Radiofrequency Directed Energy Weapon (RF DEW) and has "proven capable of neutralising multiple targets simultaneously with near-instant effect", the MoD said. The Government has invested more than £40 million in RF DEW research and development to date, supporting 135 jobs in Northern Ireland and the South East of England.
The weapon uses high-frequency radio waves to disrupt or damage critical electronic components inside drones, causing them to crash or malfunction.
At an estimated cost of 10p per shot fired, if developed into operational service the MoD claims it could provide a cost-effective complement to traditional missile-based air defence systems.
RF DEW systems can defeat airborne targets at ranges of up to 1km and can be used against threats which cannot be jammed using electronic warfare.
Defence minister Maria Eagle said the experiment "exemplifies the strength of British innovation – driven by our home-grown industry, technology firms and scientific talent".
She added: "We continue to strengthen our defence sector, adding more cutting-edge capabilities to keep the UK secure at home and strong abroad, while making defence an engine for growth across our towns and cities."
Successful experiments included the Army taking down two swarms of drones in a single engagement, and the project saw more than 100 drones being tracked, engaged and defeated using the weapon across all trials.
The MoD has further said the development of RF DEW systems could help to protect the UK from unidentified drones at security sensitive areas such as defence bases, and could play a role in preventing disruption at airports.
