Thales UK, working with Teledyne e2v, has announced successful April trials of its RapidDestroyer radio frequency directed energy weapon at Pershore, Gloucestershire. The system, designed to counter drone swarms, neutralized 80 drones in individual tests and demonstrated an upgraded 4-panel effector that improves energy focus, range, and engagement effectiveness.

The trials showed consistent near-instant disruption of targets, preventing re-engagement and enabling detailed analysis of each interception. RapidDestroyer is a UK-developed system integrated with Thales’ command and control software and uses AI-assisted threat response while keeping human operators in the decision loop.