The British army has developed an advanced weapon that can shoot down swarms of more than 100 drones, the Ministry of Defence has announced.
Defence sources have also disclosed that the RFDEW (Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon) could be sent to Ukraine where hundreds of civilians have been killed in Russian massed drone and missile attacks.
Iran and the Houthis in Yemen have also used major drones attacks against Israel and the Gulf States.
The British army is understood to be one of the first militaries to develop a successful mass counter drone weapon after the RFDEW shot down a swarm at a weapons range in west Wales.
Radio waves warfare
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on Thursday that it had concluded the “the largest counter-drone swarm exercise that the British army has conducted to date”.
RFDEW, which has benefited from a £40 million investment, had been able to “neutralise multiple targets simultaneously with near-instant effect”, the MoD added.
Unlike laser-directed energy weapons – such as the army’s DragonFire – it uses a radio frequency rather than a laser beam of light energy to disrupt threats.
The high-frequency radio waves disable critical electronic components inside drones, causing them to crash or malfunction.
Each burst costs 10p (12 cents) per shot, which is a substantial saving on more traditional surface-to-air defence systems that can cost £1 million per missile.
The RFDEW has a limited range of 1km and is effective against threats that cannot be jammed by traditional electronic warfare methods.
It currently has to be mounted on a vehicle, but advances in miniaturisation technology could enable it to be carried by soldiers.
Hundred drone attack
In one experiment gunners from the Royal Artillery used the weapon to take down two drone swarms in a single attack. The device was able to track, engage and defeat barrages of more than 100 drones per attack, the MoD said.
“We found the demonstrator quick to learn and easy to use,” said Sgt Mayers, who was the first soldier to successfully use the weapon. “With improvements on range and power, which could come with further development, this would be a great asset to layered air defence.”
The system will also be used to protect military bases as well as civilian airports and can be mounted on warships.
Ukraine usage
The successful trial comes as drone swarms are increasingly seen in frontline combat in Ukraine, with UK Defence Intelligence estimating that last year the country had to defend against attacks from more than 18,000 drones.
“As the RFDEW becomes more refined it will certainly be taken to Ukraine to see how it goes up against massed Russian attacks on cities,” a defence source said. “It could be a game changer.”
Ukraine itself is developing drones on a massive scale. It made 2.2 million small models last year and is planning to make five million this year, including 30,000 medium-sized weapons that can strike deep into Russia.
The kamikaze drones have also had a major impact on the battlefield, killing thousands of Russian infantry and helping to destroy hundreds of armoured vehicles, considerably assisting Ukraine’s inferiority in terms of personnel numbers.
But Russia too has doubled its spending on drones, including manufacturing the Iranian Shahed models, spending more than $1 billion on all models last year and doubling its workforce to 8,000 drone-makers since 2023.
Russia, and latterly Ukraine have also developed fibre optic drones that are immune to electronic jamming because they emit no radio signals. It is unclear whether RFDEW will be effective against them.
Novel technologies
Britain is increasingly focusing its attention on what the MoD calls “novel technologies” as western armies attempt to combat military developments in Ukraine and the Gaza-Israel conflict.
This will now make up 10 per cent of defence spending from next year, following the increase in the budget to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027.
“This significant experiment exemplifies the strength of British innovation – driven by our home-grown industry, technology firms and scientific talent,” said Maria Eagle, Minister for Defence Procurement. It also “added more cutting-edge capabilities” to the armed forces.
The project was developed by Team Hersa, a collaboration between Defence Equipment & Support and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, alongside defence company Thales UK.
'Of Love & War'
Lynsey Addario, Penguin Press
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar
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PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
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Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
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The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
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Tentative schedule of 2017/18 Ashes series
1st Test November 23-27, The Gabba, Brisbane
2nd Test December 2-6, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
3rd Test Dcember 14-18, Waca, Perth
4th Test December 26-30, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
5th Test January 4-8, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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The five pillars of Islam
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The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
Naga
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
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THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
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The biog
Name: Salvador Toriano Jr
Age: 59
From: Laguna, The Philippines
Favourite dish: Seabass or Fish and Chips
Hobbies: When he’s not in the restaurant, he still likes to cook, along with walking and meeting up with friends.
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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MATCH INFO
Norwich City 0 Southampton 3 (Ings 49', Armstrong 54', Redmond 79')
The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
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Get Out
Director: Jordan Peele
Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford
Four stars
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WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
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