Britain to deploy radio-wave weapon that can blast swarms of drones out of the sky
A NEW radio-wave weapon which can destroy swarms of drones in one shot is to be used by the British military for the first time.
The Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon (RFDEW) beams disruptive radio waves at vehicles and drones, frying the electronics inside.
With a range of up to almost a mile, the radio weapon can be used across land, air and sea and costs as little as 10p per shot.
There will be further development in order to extend the range of the weapons system.
It is the latest announcement of new equipment the Ministry of Defence is planning to roll out after Rishi Sunak pledged to increase UK defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030.
Earlier this week, The Telegraph revealed that the Royal Marines will receive up to six new Multi-role Support Ships (MRSS) as part of the new £75 billion funding for defence.
Crews will be able to launch drones and fire laser weapons, such as Dragonfire, a high-powered laser beam that can shoot down missiles from the new vessels.
Defence sources said that the new technology is a cost-effective alternative to traditional missiles. The technology
can be mounted on to a variety of vehicles, and uses a mobile power source to produce pulses of a radio frequency energy in a beam that can either fire sequenced shots at a single target or be broadened to hit a series of targets.
The high level of automation also means the system can be operated by a single person.
The new weapons system will undergo extensive testing with British soldiers over the summer, with defence sources suggesting it could be used to protect and defend critical assets and bases within the UK.
James Cartlidge, minister for defence procurement, said: “We are already a force to be reckoned with on science and technology, and developments like RFDEW not only make our personnel more lethal and better protected on the battlefield, but also keep the UK a world leader on innovative military kit.
“The war in Ukraine has shown us the importance of deploying uncrewed systems, but we must be able to defend against them too.
“As we ramp up our defence spending in the coming years, our Defence Drone Strategy will ensure we are at the forefront of this war-fighting evolution.”
It is being developed by a joint team from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) and Defence Equipment & Support, working with British industries under Project Hersa.
DSTL chief executive Paul Hollinshead said: “These game-changing systems will deliver decisive operational advantage to the UK Armed Forces, saving lives and defeating deadly threats.
“World-class capabilities such as this are only possible because of decades of research, expertise and investment in science and technology at DSTL and our partners in UK industry.”