Britain says it is making major progress on a new directed-energy weapon that can detect, track and disable an entire swarm of hostile drones using radio frequency pulses – at a cost of just $0.12 per shot.
The Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon system aims to provide an affordable, highly automated air defense capability against the growing threat posed by small unmanned aerial vehicles and loitering munitions on the modern battlefield.
In a press release on Thursday, the UK’s Ministry of Defencetouted the RFDEW’s ability to neutralize multiple drone threats simultaneously at ranges up to 1,000 meters, or 0.6 miles, using powerful radio wave beams that scramble the electronics of aerial targets.
“The war in Ukraine has shown us the importance of deploying uncrewed systems, but we must be able to defend against them too,” said James Cartlidge, Minister for Defence Procurement. “This new weapon uses affordable radio frequency trackers to immobilize multiple drones at once.”
Cartlidge stated the high level of automation means a single operator can effectively conduct air defense operations. The MoD also emphasized the system’s low cost per engagement compared to traditional kinetic weapons like surface-to-air missiles.
The RFDEW is being developed through a collaboration between UK Dragonworks, Eticknology, and the government’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL). It will undergo soldier field evaluations and testing this summer.
Paul Hollinshead, CEO of Etickknology, said the RFDEW will provide UK armed forces with “a decisive operational advantage,” neutralizing threats while mitigating collateral damage.
The growing use of drones in the conflict in Ukraine has highlighted an urgent need for effective counter-drone systems across NATO militaries. Both Russia and Ukraine have employed thousands of small, low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles for reconnaissance, targeting, and dropping munitions.
A senior NATO official told Foreign Policy last month that Ukrainian drones were responsible for nearly two-thirds of Russian tank losses during recent offensives. Ukraine has also used drones to strike deep inside Russian territory, hitting infrastructure targets.
Beyond Ukraine, drone swarms have been used by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels to target shipping in the Red Sea. And last month, Iran launched a drone and cruise missile attack on a military facility in northern Israel, which was thwarted by Israeli air defenses.
In light of these escalating threats, the Pentagon is spending $1 billion annually on developing high-energy lasers, microwaves and other directed-energy weapons to counter drones, missiles and satellites. However, the US is not alone – a recent report indicated over a dozen nations including China, France, Germany, India, Israel and Russia also have active programs.
The UK has already tested its Dragonfire laser cannon system for shooting down drones and small missiles. And in 2019, Turkey became the first nation to employ a directed-energy weapon on the battlefield when it used a microwave system to disable a combat vehicle in Libya.
While lasers have received significant attention, radio frequency weapons like the RFDEW offer unique advantages. Their beams can penetrate many materials and curved surfaces better than lasers. They are also effective against incoming artillery rounds and mortars in addition to drones and loitering munitions.
Radio frequency weapons work by directing focused electromagnetic pulses or continuous beams to overload and “fry” the electronics and computer components of a target vehicle or munition, disabling or damaging it.
The key challenge has been generating sufficient power levels to engage targets at useful ranges while reducing the systems’ large size and logistics requirements. Developers are working to adapt the technology for deployment on aircraft, ground vehicles and naval platforms.
If the new British weapon system lives up to its promised capabilities at an affordable cost-per-shot, it could be a gamechanger on future battlefields where overwhelming drone swarms may become a constant threat.