Radio-Wave Weapon Could Be 'Game Changer' Against Drones

The British military has announced it is testing a new weapons technology that is expected to be a "game changer" on the battlefield, using nothing but invisible radio-waves to take out enemy drones and vehicles from a range of up to a mile.

The Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon (RFDEW) beams radio waves at a target, or group of targets, in order to destroy their on-board electronics. The RFDEW can be mounted on the back of a truck or other vehicle and is designed to operate across "land, air and sea," according to the UK Ministry of Defense. Each use costs about 10 to 12 cents, making it an extremely cost-effective alternative to conventional missile defenses.

The technology is critical as a potential defense against drone swarms, which are growing into an increasingly bedeviling problem for war planners. Ukraine has become adept at flying swarms of inexpensive, explosive-laden drones across Russia's frontlines, leading some Russian soldiers to plead for shotguns that can blast the drones out of the sky with their buckshot.

But unlike shotguns, directed-energy weapons like the one being tested in the UK offer precise targeting capabilities and are relatively easy to use, as much of the technology is automated.

"The war in Ukraine has shown us the importance of deploying uncrewed systems, but we must be able to defend against them too," said Minister for Defense Procurement, James Cartlidge, in announcing the recent first tests of the RFDEW. "As we ramp up our defense spending in the coming years, our Defense Drone Strategy will ensure we are at the forefront of this warfighting evolution."

The UK recently pledged to increase its defense spending to make up 2.5% of GDP by the end of the decade, putting the country on a "war footing" as the West is faced with a multiplying number of geopolitical threats.

The Defense Ministry has several similar weapons technologies in the works, chief among them the Dragonfire: a directed-energy weapon currently in development that uses laser beams to precisely take out a line-of-sight target with no collateral damage and at a fraction of the cost of a missile. The Dragonfire is expected to be battle ready by 2027 after years of delays.

The RFDEW, meanwhile, will advance to the field-testing stage this summer, the ministry said. Further development will also attempt to extend the weapon's range.

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