British soldiers have successfully tracked, targeted and defeated swarms of drones in the latest trial of a new UK-developed directed energy weapon.
The trial, completed at a weapons range in West Wales, was the largest counter-drone swarm exercise the British Army has conducted to date.
The weapon is capable of neutralising multiple targets simultaneously with near-instant effect
PA
The UK Government has invested more than £40million in RFDEW research and development to date.
The weapon uses high-frequency radio waves to disrupt or damage critical electronic components inside drones, causing them to crash or malfunction.
RFDEW systems can defeat airborne targets at ranges of up to 1km and are effective against threats which cannot be jammed using electronic warfare.
The successful trial comes as drone swarms are increasingly seen in use in frontline combat in Ukraine.
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Britain has invested more than £40million in RFDEW research and development
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UK Defence Intelligence estimates that last year, Ukraine had to defend against attacks from more than 18,000 drones.
Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Rt Hon Maria Eagle MP, said: “This significant experiment exemplifies the strength of British innovation – driven by our home-grown industry, technology firms and scientific talent.
“We continue to strengthen our defence sector, adding more cutting-edge capabilities to keep the UK secure at home and strong abroad, while making defence an engine for growth across our towns and cities.”
The project has been delivered by Team Hersa, a collaboration between Defence Equipment & Support and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory.
The weapon defeated more than 100 drones in a single deployment
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The project saw more than 100 drones being tracked, engaged and defeated using the weapon across all trials.
Sgt Mayers, a Senior Remotely-Piloted Air Systems Operator from 106 Regiment Royal Artillery, had the honour of being the first British soldier to bring down drones using a radiofrequency weapon.
“RFDEW is an exciting concept,” said Sgt Mayers.
“We found the demonstrator quick to learn and easy to use. With improvements on range and power, which could come with further development, this would be a great asset to Layered Air Defence.
“With improvements on range and power, which could come with further development, this would be a great asset to Layered Air Defence.”
Protecting national security is the foundation of the Government’s Plan for Change and the development of RFDEW systems could help to protect the UK from unidentified drones at security-sensitive areas.
Defence bases and airports could benefit from this technology to prevent disruption from unidentified drones.
Thales employs around 100 skilled staff in Northern Ireland on the project, with a further 30-35 supply chain jobs in Chelmsford.
Nigel MacVean, MD of Thales Integrated Airspace-protection Systems, said: “Thales continues to be at the forefront of this pioneering technology, and we are proud to continue the research and development in this sector alongside our partners in Government.”
