U.K. Army tests anti-drone radio-wave weapon
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The reading
The British Army has successfully tested a new weapon to destroy drones. It has created a radio-wave weapon system that can knock swarms of drones out of the sky. Many armies around the world use drones to attack enemy soldiers, tanks, and cities. Drones are a very effective way of attacking enemies. They can cause a lot of damage. The British Army's new system uses high-frequency radio waves to destroy the computer chips that control drones. This causes the drones to crash or fly off-course. An Army spokesperson said the system could take out more than 100 drones almost instantly. He said it could give the Army a big advantage on the battlefield.
The U.K. government spent more than $53 million developing the anti-drone weapons system. The system is very cheap to operate. It costs just 18 cents to fire one shot at a swarm of drones. This is one-tenth of the price of a standard bullet used by the British Army. A spokesperson said it was important to find cheap and effective ways to defend British soldiers. He pointed to Russia's use of drones in its three-year war against Ukraine. The U.K. government said: "Drone swarms are increasingly seen in use in frontline combat in Ukraine. U.K. intelligence estimates that last year, Ukraine had to defend against attacks from more than 18,000 drones."
Sources:
- https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2025/04/17/in-first-british-army-uses-radio-wave-weapon-to-knock-out-drone-swarm/
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/uk-new-radio-wave-weapon-rapiddestroyer-takes-down-drone-swarms/
- https://www.ft.com/content/41703199-201e-4702-b34a-a0a633cdfcf5
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