The Invisible Weapon That Takes Down Drones: Radio Waves Against Swarms

In the silence of the Manorbier Air Defence Range in south-west Wales, a silent but powerful revolution has taken place. For the first time, the British Army has successfully conducted an operational test of a radio wave weapon capable of shooting down entire swarms of drones. This is the Radiofrequency Directed Energy Weapon (RF DEW), a system that emits high-frequency radio waves capable of neutralizing the electronic components of drones, causing them to immediately crash or malfunction.

The event, announced by the UK Ministry of Defence on 17 April 2025, marks a significant milestone for national security and defence against one of the most worrying emerging threats: the widespread use of drones in warfare and in sensitive civilian environments. With an estimated cost of just 10 pence per shot, questa tecnologia rappresenta un’alternativa economicamente vantaggiosa rispetto ai tradizionali missili antiaerei, spesso troppo costosi per contrastare minacce rapide e numerose come gli sciami.

The RF DEW system has been shown to be able to neutralize multiple targets simultaneously with almost instantaneous effectiveness, striking at a distance of up to one kilometer. During the tests, over 100 drones were shot down, and in a single engagement, two swarms were neutralised. The operator who led the trial, Sergeant Mayers of the 106th Royal Artillery, was the first British soldier to successfully use this new type of weapon. “The system is intuitive, easy to learn and quick to deploy. With further developments in range and power, it could become a key element in layered defence,” he said.

A concrete response to a growing threat

The development and testing of this technology comes at a crucial time for global security. The war in Ukraine has shown how drones – often cheap, readily available and capable of operating in swarms – can cause devastating damage. According to British intelligence, in 2024 Ukraine had to defend itself from over 18,000 drone strikes. In this context, systems such as the RF DEW emerge as indispensable responses.

Unlike classic electronic countermeasures, which rely on jamming and can be easily evaded by more advanced or autonomous drones, the RF DEW physically hits the target circuits, rendering them useless. This feature makes it particularly suitable for defending sensitive areas such as military bases, critical infrastructure or airports, which in recent years have been closed or slowed down several times due to the presence of unidentified drones.

The strategic importance of this technology is also evident in the attention that the British government has given it. To date, over £40 million in the development of the RF DEW, a figure set to grow. The Ministry of Defence has announced that, from 2025-26, at least the 10% of the equipment expenditure will be allocated to innovative technologies, in line with the objective of reaching 2.5% of GDP allocated to defence by 2027.

The Minister for Defense Procurement, Mary Eagle, stressed that the initiative reflects “the strength of British innovation, supported by a dynamic industrial sector and national scientific talent”. The Manorbier trial is not only a technical success, but also a symbol of the new industrial direction of the United Kingdom: a marriage between security and economic growth.

Thales UK and domestic industry at the forefront

The project is the result of a collaboration between the Ministry of Defence, the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory and the company Thales UK, leading the industrial consortium that developed the RF DEW demonstrator. The program, known as Team Hersa, currently employs approximately 135 highly qualified professionals across the UK: 100 engineers and technicians in Northern Ireland and a further 30-35 in supply chain work in Chelmsford, Essex.

Nigel MacVean, Managing Director of Integrated Air Defence Systems at Thales, commented: “We continue to lead the way in this pioneering technology and are proud to contribute our expertise to national security, in close collaboration with the UK Government.”

Il successo del sistema RF DEW è destinato a influenzare anche le scelte di altri Paesi NATO, sempre più interessati a dotarsi di tecnologie a energia diretta per difendersi da sciami di droni e minacce asimmetriche. L’arma invisibile britannica, silenziosa e precisa, rappresenta il primo passo concreto verso un future where energy will be the protagonist on the battlefield, reducing costs and increasing responsiveness.

With this first operational success, the United Kingdom is poised to become a world leader in radio-based weapons, opening a new era in anti-drone defense and marking a significant evolution in 21st century electronic warfare.

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/british-soldiers-take-down-drone-swarm-in-groundbreaking-use-of-radio-wave-weapon