UK unleashes drone-zapping microwave weapon amid defence tech drive
The British Army has successfully neutralised swarms of drones in a trial of the “RapidDestroyer” — a new kind of weapon that uses high-frequency microwaves to disable critical electronic components in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), causing them to crash.
The Army said it took down two swarms of eight drones during a single test at a site in West Wales. During the entire trial period, the weapon was used to “track, engage and defeat” more than 100 drones.
RapidDestroyer could be deployed in war zones across the world, including Ukraine, where drones have become ubiquitous on the battlefield. The UK’s Defence Intelligence agency estimates that Ukraine had to defend against attacks from more than 18,000 Russian drones last year.
“With improvements on range and power, which could come with further development, this would be a great asset to Layered Air Defence,” said Sergeant Mayers, who became the first British soldier to bring down drones using a radiofrequency weapon.
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While still under development, the weapon could provide a cheaper alternative to missile-based defence systems for specific applications, like taking down large swarms of drones. The Army estimates that each microwave blast costs just £0.10 (€0.12), with one shot enough to take out several small UAVs from a maximum range of 1km.
RapidDestoyer isn’t the only direct-energy weapon the UK is working on. The British Army has also carried out several tests of DragonFire, a machine that fires high-powered laser beams at aerial targets.
These developments come amid a Europe-wide push in defence tech spending, as the continent looks to better arm itself amid tensions with the US.
In March 2025, EU leaders endorsed the “ReArm Europe” plan, aiming to mobilise up to £683bn (€800bn) over the next four years to enhance military capabilities. The UK government, meanwhile, has committed to raising defence spending to 2.5% of GDP and wants to spend at least 10% of its defence budget on “innovative technologies.”
Defence tech is a key theme of this year’s Assembly, the invite-only policy track of TNW Conference. The event takes place on June 19 and 20 — a week before the NATO Summit arrives in Amsterdam. Tickets for TNW Conference are now on sale — use the code TNWXMEDIA2025 to grab an exclusive discount.
