Cutting-Edge Drone Killer Radio Wave Weapon Developing at Pace

October 1, 2024

The U.K. is developing the Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon (RFDEW), pictured here, that beams radio waves to disrupt or damage the critical electronic components of vehicles and drones used by enemy combatants. (Image: U.K. Government)

Delivered by Team Hersa, a joint Defense Equipment & Support (DE&S) and Defense, Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) enterprise, the Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon (RFDEW) can detect, track and engage a range of threats across land, air and sea. The system uses radio waves to disrupt or damage critical electronic components inside enemy platforms, such as drones, causing them to stop in their tracks or fall out of the sky. As such, it offers a solution for the protection and defense of critical assets and bases.

Capable of downing dangerous drone swarms with instant effect, at only 10p per shot, the RFDEW is a highly capable and cost-effective alternative to traditional missile-based air defense systems. It will be able to effect targets up to 1 km away, with further development in extending the range ongoing. Its high level of automation also means the system can be operated by a single person.

“Working collaboratively with DSTL, DE&S is providing engineering, commercial and project management expertise to deliver directed energy weapons into service and provide the edge for our armed Forces against current and future threats,” DE&S’ Adam McCullough, RFDEW Chief Engineer for Team Hersa, said, commenting on the new technology.

The RFDEW can be mounted on a variety of military vehicles and uses a mobile power source to rapidly fire sequenced pulses of radio frequency energy in beams that can be narrowed to individual targets or broadened to engage a number of threats.

“These game changing systems will deliver decisive operational advantage to the U.K. Armed Forces, saving lives and defeating deadly threats. 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 U.K. industry,” said DSTL Chief Executive Paul Hollinshead.

The DE&S Directed Energy Weapons team led the engineering effort for the RFDEW project, supported by the Weapons Operating Centre and the Vehicle Support team. The small team has sustained an intense effort for several years to deliver, assure and gain permission for an RFDEW capability ready for Army trials.

RFDEW will begin extensive field testing led by the Royal Artillery Trials and Development Unit and target operators from 7 Air Defense Group over the summer. The RFDEW program draws from the whole of the U.K., with specialist suppliers in all four nations developing parts of the technology. The accelerated development of directed energy weapons is part of the effort to put the U.K.’s Defense industry on a war-footing.

At only 10p per shot fired, the RFDEW beam is a significant cost-effective alternative to traditional missile-based, air Defense systems, capable of downing dangerous drone swarms with instant effect. The high level of automation also means the system itself can be operated by a single person. This technology can offer a solution to protection and Defense of critical assets and bases.

“We are already a force to be reckoned with on science and technology, and developments like RFDEW not only make our personnel more lethal and better protected on the battlefield, but also keep the U.K. a world leader on innovative military kit,” Minister for Defense Procurement, James Cartlidge said, commenting on the development of RFDEW. “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 Defense spending in the coming years, our Defense Drone Strategy will ensure we are at the forefront of this warfighting evolution.”

This article was written by the U.K. Ministry of Defense’s Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) and Defense Equipment & Support (DE&S), (London, UK). For more information, visit here .