Weapons technology
British impulse weapon is said to fry drones – a shot costs just 10 cents
The RFDEW pulse weapon mounted on a truck
© British Government
Swarms of drones cannot be combated with expensive defense missiles; Great Britain has now demonstrated the pulse weapon RFDEW. It causes the electronics in the attack drone to boil.
Currently, cheap drones are being defended against with very expensive missiles. A method that cannot work with larger swarms of drones. So the search is on for methods that are cheaper and whose “ammunition” cannot be exhausted even by a swarm. After the Dragon Fire laser, the British Ministry of Defense has now presented a pulse weapon. The Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon (RFDEW) releases an electronic pulse at the target that destroys the electronics inside the drone.
A single shot should hardly cost more than ten cents, and the weapon would also cost several cents Destroy drones if they fly close together. The disadvantage is the limited range of only one kilometer. However, this still needs to be increased. The weapon is therefore only suitable for object protection, but not for area protection. It is intended for ships of the British Navy.
Pulse weapons work very cheaply
Reflecting on the Red Sea operations, Rear Admiral Fred Pyle said the Navy urgently needs to get cheaper equipment to shoot down drones. “We’re working toward that goal and have some solutions that I can’t go into detail about, but we’ll get them after we find more cost-effective ways to address these lower-end threats.”
Currently, Sea Viper missiles worth 1.3 to 2.5 million euros are being used against a drone worth 20,000 US dollars.
James Cartlidge, Minister for Defense Acquisition, said in a statement: “We are already a force to be reckoned with in science and technology, and developments like RFDEW not only make our personnel more effective and better protected on the battlefield, but keep the United “The Kingdom is also a world leader in innovative military equipment.”
Chinese starter for a swarm of drones
©PLA
The development of such weapons is essential. Many drones operate in Ukraine, but they do not yet form a “swarm” with their own intelligence. However, such drones that share their sensor data and operate with AI are being developed. Just a few days ago, China unveiled a type of multiple rocket launcher that can launch an entire swarm.
Limitations of pulse weapons
The idea is not new; EMP bombs have been built for a long time and disable electronics and power supplies in the target area. Weapons like RFDEW are now intended to concentrate the impulse on a target. The RFDEW tower can be used on ships, but also on a truck, with the energy source then added. The undeniable advantages of a pulse weapon are offset by construction-related disadvantages. A defense missile or automatic autocannon such as the Rapid Fire System destroys the target manually and safely. Special protective measures and electronics can render a pulse weapon ineffective (EMP hardening). It would also be ineffective against a weapon that can continue the final approach “blindly”. The like against a carrier drone that launches or drops a non-electronic weapon out of range.