The British Army has conducted its first tests of radio frequency directed energy weapons, according to The Telegraph.

The British Army has successfully conducted its first test of radio frequency directed energy weapon (RFDEW), capable of detecting, tracking, and neutralizing a wide array of threats on land, in the air, and at sea.

According to reports from The Telegraph.

“The weapon that takes down enemy drones from the sky using radio waves has been deployed by British soldiers for the first time... The drone killer can neutralize targets at distances of up to 1,000 yards almost instantly,” the report states.

RFDEW employs high-frequency radio waves to disable or damage key electronic components of devices such as drones, resulting in their immobilization and descent.

The Royal Artillery's testing and development unit, along with the 7th Air Defence Group, recently completed trials of RFDEW in combat conditions at a range in West Wales.

The UK Ministry of Defence reported that these trials helped air defense personnel understand the weapon's capabilities under various conditions, threat types, and application scenarios. RFDEW is effectively utilized both on land and at sea.

It is noted that each shot from the system costs only 10 pence (approximately 5 UAH), making it an economically viable addition to traditional missile air defense systems. Thanks to the high level of automation, the system can be operated by a single person and mounted on military vehicles.

Defence Procurement Minister Maria Eagle described the successful RFDEW trials as another significant step in creating a breakthrough sovereign weapon prototype for the UK.

“This demonstrates that the UK remains at the forefront of directed energy weaponry and is developing a critical advantage against the threats we face,” Eagle added.

The system was developed by a consortium led by Thales UK, with subcontractors QinetiQ, Teledyne e2v, and Horiba Mira involved. It has also created up to 135 highly skilled jobs in the UK.

Background. Previously, Mind reported that the Defence Forces successfully conducted their first robotic military operation. This involved drones equipped with machine guns, ground kamikaze drones, mine-clearing robots, and more.