The Radiofrequency Directed Energy Weapon being trialled by the British Army could prove to be a huge asset on a future battlefield (Picture: MOD)
Published by Forces News, 17 April 2025
Soldiers have successfully taken out swarms of drones in a trial of a new directed-energy weapon and the largest counter-drone swarm exercise conducted by the British Army to date.
The UK-made, invisible radio wave weapon knocked out drone swarms for the first time, proving it has the potential to help protect against drone threats as the nature of warfare changes.
The trial was completed at a weapons range in west Wales, with the weapon system demonstrator being a type of radio frequency directed energy weapon (RFDEW).
It has proven capable of taking out multiple targets at the same time with near-instant effect.
The weapon uses high-frequency waves to knock out critical electronic elements inside the drones, which in turn causes them to crash or malfunction.
RFDEW systems can take out targets up to 1km away and work against threats which cannot be jammed using electronic warfare.
At roughly 10p per shot fired, if developed into operational service, it could provide a cost-effective sidekick to traditional missile-based air defence systems.
Sergeant Mayers, a Senior Remotely-Piloted Air Systems Operator from 106 Regiment Royal Artillery, became the first British soldier to bring down drones using a radio frequency weapon.
He said the RFDEW was an “exciting concept”, with the demonstrator being 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,” he said.
The project has been delivered by Team Hersa, a collab between Defence Equipment & Support and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, while the RFDEW demonstrator has been developed by an industry consortium led by Thales UK.
Successful experiments have seen the Army take down two swarms of drones in a single engagement.
The project also saw over 100 drones being tracked, engaged and defeated.
Defence Procurement Minister Maria Eagle said the “significant experiment exemplifies the strength of British innovation”.
“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,” she said. The trial comes as drone swarms are increasingly being seen in Ukraine.
UK defence intelligence estimates that last year Ukraine had to defend against attacks from more than 18,000 drones.
See: Original Article
