British troops have used a futuristic “energy” weapon to zap a drone swarm out of the sky in the largest exercise of its kind in the UK. Dubbed the “drone killer” the Radiofrequency Directed Energy Weapon called an RF DEW system successfully smashed as many as eight mid-flight drones in one trial attack.
The exercise was simulating one of the biggest fears for the UK military- that rogue or enemy forces could attack them or civilians in swarm formations. The secretive trial was completed at a weapons range in West Wales and was the largest counter-drone swarm exercise the British Army have conducted.
The drone destroyer can smash multiple targets simultaneously with near-instant effect. The UK Government has invested more than £40 million in research and development of the anti-drone weapons.
It uses high frequency radio waves to disrupt or damage critical electronic components inside drones, causing them to crash. At 10p per shot fired, if developed into operational service it could provide a cost-effective complement to traditional missile-based air defence systems.
In the tests it was successfully pitched against hand-launched small drones called ‘quadcopters. They were a ‘Boresight Raider’ and a ‘Parrot Anafi.’ RF DEW systems can defeat airborne targets at ranges of up to almost a mile and are effective against threats which cannot be jammed using usual electronic warfare techniques. The successful trial comes as drone swarms are increasingly seen in Ukraine, where Kyiv’s troops and civilians last year came under attack from more than 18,000 drones.
The government is increasing the proportion of MOD’s equipment procurement spend on novel technologies, spending at least 10% from 2025-26. It follows the announcement of the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War.
The UK will spend 2.5% of GDP on defence by April 2027. 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.”
The RF DEW demonstrator has been developed by an industry consortium led by Thales UK. Successful experiments included the Army taking down two swarms of drones in a single engagement, and the project saw more than 100 drones being tracked, engaged and defeated using the weapon across all trials.
Tests are still underway for the new anti-drone system but they could be deployed in Ukraine to help troops to combat incoming explosive drone attacks.
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. Sgt Mayers said: “RF DEW is an exciting concept. 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.”
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.’
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