UK successfully tests energy weapon against drones for first time

The UK’s Defence Ministry has said that the military successfully tested a new weapon capable of destroying drone swarms using radio waves for the first time.

The new weapon, a Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon (RFDEW), can eliminate a swarm of drones for less than the cost of a pack of meat pies. The system is capable of targeting and destroying objects within a range of up to 1 kilometre, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The RFDEW works using radio frequency energy, which can track and neutralise targets onshore, in the air, and offshore. Unlike other systems such as DragonFire, which uses laser beams to counter threats, RFDEW offers a more cost-effective and instantaneous alternative. Each shot from the system costs roughly 10 pence, making it an economical complement to traditional missile-based air defence systems.

The US may deploy tactical nuclear weapons at the RAF Lakenheath Air Base in Suffolk County, eastern England, within the next few years. A storage facility for such weapons is currently being built at the airbase, with an investment of several million pounds. The facility is expected to be completed in the coming years.

By Naila Huseynova