Electronics Weekly
“It uses high frequency radio waves to disrupt or damage critical electronic components inside drones, causing them to crash or malfunction,” according to the government, which tested the weapon in West Wales. The “systems can defeat airborne targets at ranges of up to 1km and are effective against threats which cannot be jammed using electronic warfare, and has proven capable of neutralising multiple targets simultaneously with near-instant effect.”
Experiments included defeating two swarms of drones in a single engagement, continued the government statement and, in total, the project saw more than 100 drones being tracked, engaged and defeated.
It estimates that each shot costs 10p.
Thales led the development and manufacture of the demonstrator, from centres in Northern Ireland and Essex. “Thales continues to be at the forefront of this pioneering technology, and we are proud to continue the research and development in this sector alongside our partners in Government,” said Nigel MacVean, MD of Thales Integrated Airspace-protection Systems.
