Image of Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon developed by the Dstl and Thales. Seen here at 7th Air Defence Group, Thorney Island, in the UK on 25 April 2024. (Crown copyright/UK MoD)
The UK's Royal Artillery Trials and Development Unit (RATDU) and 7th Air Defence Group in Wales have successfully tested a radio frequency directed energy weapon (RFDEW) by targeting and engaging unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) more than a kilometre away, according to a 23 December UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) press release.
The direct energy weapon, which can hit land, air, and sea targets, can be mounted on a wheeled vehicle such as a MAN Support Vehicle 6T. The RFDEW is designed to stand on its own or provide point-defence capability to counter ‘swarms' of mini and micro UASs, according to information provided by Thales UK, which led the development of the technology. The RFDEW is able to complement short-range air-defence systems and has an estimated energy cost of around GBP0.10 (USD0.12) per shot.
The technology uses a focused, high-power burst of electromagnetic waves to “disrupt or damage critical electronic components inside devices such as drones, causing them to fall out of the sky”, the MoD said.
While the MoD's Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) said the RFDEW used in the test will not be going into service, the data from this year's experiments with the technology will “inform future directed energy requirements for the UK”.
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