British Army tested a low-cost solution for the first time, a weapon that could take down a swarm of drones using radio waves.
In a news release, the British Ministry of Defence announced that the Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapons (RFDEW) could destroy many drones. The developing system can identify, monitor, and engage various land, air, and marine threats. Each shot from these systems costs under ten cents, and they can hit targets up to one km away.
The Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon (RFDEW) is distinct from Laser Directed Energy Weapons (LDEW), such as DragonFire, in that it employs a radio frequency to disrupt enemy threats, as opposed to using a laser beam of light energy.
The weapon employs high-frequency waves to disrupt or damage vital electrical components installed within devices such as drones, causing the drones to become immobile or fall out of the sky. The ability to defend against threats both on land and at sea is another advantage of this weapon.
The demonstration version of the RFDEW was test-fired by the British Army and was successful. Among the sub-contractors that contributed to the creation of the system are QinetiQ, Teledyne e2v, and Horiba Mira. Thales UK is the leader of the consortium that was responsible for its production.
In a first for the British Armed Forces, the Royal Artillery Trials and Development Unit of the Army and the 7th Air Defence Group recently finished a live fire trial at a range in West Wales. During the testing, they successfully targeted and engaged unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
