UK Army’s invisible blast melts 100+ strong drone swarm with just a 13-cent shot
The weapon system can defeat airborne targets at ranges of up to 1km.
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 defense 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.