The United Kingdom promotes the successful test of the new radio wave weapon to eliminate

London – The United Kingdom Army has carried out a successful field test of a new type of weapon specifically designed to eliminate multiple drones launched in a coordinated attack, the government said Thursday. In a statement, the government said that British soldiers had “tracked successfully, attacked and defeated drone swarms” for the first time using “a new gun directed in the United Kingdom”

The “Rapiddesroyer”, a radio frequency -led energy (RF Dew) was developed by a consortium led by the British arm of the French defense giant Thales. The evidence took place in a range of military weapons in Wales, “and was the largest site of counter-Drone that the British army has done to date,” according to the government.

In a video posted on social networks, the Ministry of Defense said that RF Rocío systems use energy from the radio wave to “point”, “interrupt” or “damage” the components of drones directly, instead of simply interrupting their communications with earth operators.

At a cost of around $ 0.18 per shooting, the government said RF Dews could provide a “profitable complement to traditional missile -based air defense systems.”

During the Rapiddestroyer system trial in Wales, the weapon was used to intercept more than 100 drones, the military said. The government emphasized that RF dew systems are currently effective against the objectives in a range of up to approximately half a mile, and “against threats that cannot get stuck using electronic warfare.” The work to increase its effective range continues.

It is not the first weapon that uses high frequency energy to attack unmanned aerial vehicles. The US army has tried at least two weapons systems designed to tear down drone swarms, but both use microwave energy instead of radio waves.

In 2023, the US Air Force Research Laboratory said had carried out a successful test of its high -power tactical operational response (Thor), “since it hired a swarm of multiple objectives” in a test site at the Kirtland Air Force base in New Mexico.

The announcement of the United Kingdom occurs immediately after the British government that announces its greatest increase in national defense spending since the end of the Cold War, and the declaration published on Thursday specified that such an advanced armament would be part of that investment.

“The government is significantly increasing the proportion of [the Ministry of Defense’s] The acquisition of equipment spends in novel technologies, spending at least 10% between 2025-26, “the statement said.

He said that RF Rocío systems could be used “to protect the United Kingdom from unidentified drones in safety sensitive areas, as defense bases, and could play a role in prevention of airport interruption.”

The incentive to boost advances in such weapons has been highlighted by the relentless use of Russia drones in its three years. War against neighboring UkraineSaid the United Kingdom government.

“Drones swarms are increasingly in use in the frontline fight in Ukraine,” said the government. “The United Kingdom’s intelligence estimates that last year Ukraine had to defend against attacks of more than 18,000 drones.”

• Ukraine presents his own drone killer while the United States decreases

Justin Bronk of the Royal United Service Institute, a group of experts focused on the army in London, told The Financial Times that “high -power microwave systems are potentially a very effective tool for defense against a large number of amounts of large number of quantities [drones] And potentially cruise missiles too. “

The smallest weapons designed to intercept or destroy individual drones have been deployed by military and police forces worldwide. During Paris Summer Olympic Games in 2024, agencies for the application of French law intercepted more than 50 drones Using anti-Drone handmade weapons.

In 2015, the aerospace giant and the defense of the United States Boeing developed A laser weapon capable of knocking down an unmanned plane burning components from a distance in less than 15 seconds.

Tucker Reals contributed to this report.

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