The United Kingdom (UK)’s armed services are developing a state-of-the-art new weapon that shoots drones out of the sky using radio waves.
The Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon (RFDEW) is a weapon that uses radio waves to interfere with or harm vital electronic parts of enemy combatants’ vehicles and drones.
They might fall out of the sky or come to a stop in their tracks as a result.
Its range of up to one km, which could be expanded in the future, allows it to be utilised on land, in the air, and on the sea.
Information regarding the new weapon was made public following the pledge made by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to increase defence spending in the country to 2.5% of GDP by 2030.
The technology is also being marketed as a less expensive option to conventional missiles, with an estimated cost of 0.10 pounds (0.12 USD) each radio waveshot.
This might be applied to eliminate potentially harmful drone swarms.
The technique produces radio frequency energy pulses in a beam that can be expanded to impact many targets or fired in succession at a single target using a mobile power source.
It is compatible with many different military vehicles.
According to James Cartlidge, the minister of state for defence procurement, “we are already a force to be reckoned with on science and technology.”
Innovations like as RFDEW maintain the UK’s position as a global leader in military kits and make our soldiers more effective and safer in combat.
“The war in Ukraine has shown us the importance of deploying uncrewed systems, but we must be able to defend against them too.
“As we ramp up our defence spending in the coming years, our Defence Drone Strategy will ensure we are at the forefront of this warfighting evolution.’’
Throughout the summer, British soldiers will participate in thorough testing of the new weapons system.
Under Project Hersa, a collaborative team from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) and Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) is developing it in conjunction with the UK industry.
“These game-changing systems will deliver decisive operational advantage to the UK armed forces, saving lives and defeating deadly threats,” stated Paul Hollinshead, chief executive of DSTL.
“World-class capabilities such as this are only possible because of decades of research, expertise and investment in science and technology at DSTL and our partners in the UK industry.”
