UK Armed Forces to use "game-changing" drone tech

^{Image credit: Ministry of Defence}

A new weapon that uses radio waves to disable enemy electronics and take down multiple drones at once is under development for the UK’s armed forces.

The Ministry for Defence has called it a "game-changing weapon."

This forms part of work to put the UK’s defence industry on a war footing following the Prime Minister’s announcement last month of an increase to the defence budget to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030.

An example of a Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon (RFDEW), the versatile system can detect, track and engage a range of threats across land, air and sea. 

The system will be able to effect targets up to 1km away, with further development in extending the range ongoing. It can also be operated by a single person.

James Cartlidge, minister for defence procurement, said: "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 UK a world leader on innovative military kit.

"The war in Ukraine has shown us the importance of deploying uncrewed systems, but we must be able to defend against them too."