Talks on testing a new British laser weapon did not have time to end, because the government of this country issued another press release in which it talked about work on another anti-drone installation. Experts believe that this weapon is an alternative to expensive missiles. The cost of one shot from it will be a little more than 10 cents.

Modern anti-aircraft missiles are effective against a range of air targets, but there are many problems with them. Missile systems need to be reloaded after the ammunition set is exhausted, which takes time and is especially valuable in combat conditions. Rockets are very expensive: the price of a single piece sometimes reaches several million dollars. Expensive missiles often have to be spent shooting down small, cheap kamikaze drones; Their cost usually does not exceed tens of thousands of dollars, making it economically unprofitable.

Recently, the military departments of some countries are developing an alternative to this type of ammunition – Directed energy weapon (DEW). This weapon is based on completely new physical principles: conductors destroy targets due to the direct transfer of energy without the use of kinetic striking elements. DEW has a number of advantages: a “bullet” from such an installation flies at the speed of light or close to it (depending on the type of DEW), that is, much faster than a rocket.

Additionally, such a weapon can hit multiple targets with minimal pauses. Since the DEW uses energy, not rockets, it can potentially “fire” an infinite number of times as long as the energy is conserved.

One of the few countries trying to equip its army with DEW is Great Britain. In March 2024, the kingdom’s military department had already tested the 50-kilowatt DragonFire laser weapon designed to combat drones.

The system is sensitive enough to hit a £1 coin from a kilometer away. According to the Department of Defense, DragonFire consumes as much energy in 10 seconds of operation as a regular home heater does in one hour. The cost per ‘shot’ is less than £10 (almost US$13).

Now the British government has talked about working on another “drone killer” – Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon (Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon), a “shot” that will cost much cheaper than DragonFire, only 13 cents.

Such directed energy weapons use radio waves that can disable enemy drones by damaging their critical electronic components. The system can use a mobile power source to generate radio frequency pulses that coalesce into a single combat beam.

According to the press release, the British radio frequency energy weapon can be controlled by a single person, will detect, track and hit targets at a distance of up to one kilometer (this distance is planned to be increased in the future ). It can be used on land, in the air and at sea, meaning it can be installed on almost any platform, from warships to truck beds.

“This is a revolutionary system that will give armed forces a decisive advantage on the battlefield, while also helping to save lives and prevent deadly threats,” said Paul Hollinshead, head of the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory, which is involved in the development. your gun.

The first tests of the new weapon will be carried out with the participation of British soldiers in the summer. Radio frequency installation is supposed to replace traditional air defense systems and work more efficiently than lasers.