The British Army has tested an invisible radio wave weapon, known as the Radiofrequency Directed Energy Weapon (RFDEW), to knock out drone swarms for the first time.

British soldiers have successfully tracked, targeted, and defeated swarms of drones in the latest trial of a new directed energy weapon developed in the UK.

The trial was held at a weapons range in West Wales and was the largest counter-drone swarm exercise the British Army has conducted to date.

13-cent-per-shot radio waves to fry drones
According to a press release by the British Army, the weapon system demonstrator is a type of RFDEW. It has proven capable of neutralizing multiple targets simultaneously with near-instant effects.

The UK Government has invested more than £40 million in RFDEW research and development to date, the British Army said.

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 GBP 0.10 (USD 0.13 or 13 cents) per shot fired, if developed into operational service, the weapon could provide a cost-effective complement to traditional missile-based air defence systems, the British Army added.

The weapon system can defeat airborne targets at ranges of up to 1km and is effective against threats that cannot be jammed using electronic warfare.

According to the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), the successful trial comes as drone swarms are increasingly seen in use in frontline combat in Ukraine.

UK Defence Intelligence estimates that last year, Ukraine had to defend against attacks from more than 18,000 drones.

Frying 100 drones

In this test, the British Army successfully killed two swarms of drones in a single engagement.

The project saw more than 100 drones being tracked, engaged, and defeated using the weapon across all trials.
Team Hersa, a collaboration between Defence Equipment & Support and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, has delivered the project.

The RFDEW demonstrator has been developed by an industry consortium led by Thales UK.
The weapon’s development supports the UK’s Defence Industrial Strategy to help the UK defence industry mobilize to help face global threats and ensure the sector is an engine for growth in every region and nation of the UK.

The MOD is working with a range of industry partners to deliver powerful future RFDEW capabilities for UK forces.

The RFDEW can target airborne threats on land, air, and sea. It can be mounted on a wheeled vehicle, like a MAN Support Vehicle 6T.

This weapon is designed to operate independently or to help defend against groups of small drones. The weapon can also work alongside short-range air-defence systems.

“This significant experiment exemplifies the strength of British innovation – driven by our home-grown industry, technology firms, and scientific talent,” UK’s Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle, said.

“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.”