UK develops low-cost radio frequency weapon system to neutralise UAV swarms

The UK has developed and successfully tested a radio frequency directed energy weapon (RFDEW) system that can neutralise drone swarms, the UK defence ministry said last week.

According to the ministry of defence, the RFDEW system is effective against low-flying objects and has a very low operating cost of just 10 pence ($0.13) a shot.

The weapon system emits high-frequency radio waves to disrupt or damage the electronic components of the drones, thereby immobilising them and causing them to fall from the sky. 

It can shoot down drones and similar aerial threats from a distance of up to 1,000 meters.

The weapon system was developed by a consortium led by Thales UK, with input support from key contractors such as QinetiQ, Teledyne e2v, and Horiba Mira. 

The drone defence system is part of `Project Ealing’, which aims at developing a cheaper alternative to missile-based systems. 

The system can detect, track, and engage enemy drones from land, air, and sea and was tested by the UK Army and the Air Defence Group using uncrewed aerial systems (UAS). 

The weapon system is also easy to operate as it is largely automated and designed to be operated by a single person.

It can also be mounted on military vehicles for shifting the field of operation and deployment to various places.

The UK is also reported to have developed a similar low-cost vehicle-mounted laser weapon that can shoot down objects 1,000 metres away. 

Besides, the UK is developing another laser weapon system, named DragonFire that targets drones with high-concentrated energy beams, costing less than $13 per shot.