Latest news with #U.K.MinistryofDefense
Newsweek
6 days ago
- General
- Newsweek
Photos Show British Aircraft Carrier Reaching Indo-Pacific Waters
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales arrived in Indo-Pacific waters after passing through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, as part of the Royal Navy flagship's deployment. The goal of the eight-month deployment is to reaffirm the United Kingdom's commitment to security in the Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific regions, the Royal Navy said on Tuesday. Why It Matters The Houthis—an Iran-backed armed group in Yemen—halted attacks in the Red Sea following a deal with the United States. Both sides exchanged fire in the crucial waterway from March to early May. The British aircraft carrier HMS "Prince of Wales" transits the Suez Canal toward the Red Sea on May 24, 2025. The British aircraft carrier HMS "Prince of Wales" transits the Suez Canal toward the Red Sea on May 24, 2025. U.K. Ministry of Defense What To Know The Prince of Wales left its home port in southern England in late April for a mission known as Operation Highmast. This will take the aircraft carrier to the Western Pacific Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Middle East for joint war games with U.K. allies and partners. The naval strike group led by the Prince of Wales completed what the Royal Navy called a safe passage through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, arriving in the Indian Ocean from the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, marking the next stage of its global deployment. The Norwegian frigate HNoMS "Roald Amundsen," front, transits the Red Sea with the United States destroyer USS "Truxtun" on May 31, 2025. The Norwegian frigate HNoMS "Roald Amundsen," front, transits the Red Sea with the United States destroyer USS "Truxtun" on May 31, 2025. U.K. Ministry of Defense Officially released photos show that the U.K. Carrier Strike Group, which includes multiple British, Canadian, Norwegian, and Spanish naval vessels, completed the transit in late May. A U.S. destroyer, USS Truxtun, was also seen sailing with the strike group in the Red Sea. The presence of the Truxtun complicates any potential Houthi attempts to target non-U. S. ships within the carrier strike group, the specialist outlet The Maritime Executive said. The U.S. destroyer also operated alongside the Prince of Wales in the Mediterranean last month. The Royal Navy did not disclose whether the carrier strike group conducted any operations, including escorting shipping, while in the Red Sea, the specialist outlet Navy Lookout noted. During its transit in the Red Sea, the Prince of Wales launched its F-35B stealth fighter jets, according to photos released by the Royal Navy. These aircraft are designed for air-to-air and air-to-ground combat, as well as intelligence gathering and electronic warfare missions. Before departing Europe, the U.K. Carrier Strike Group conducted a naval exercise with the Italian Carrier Strike Group in the Ionian Sea, south of Italy, the Royal Navy said. The drill involved 21 warships, three submarines, 41 fighter jets, 19 helicopters, and 10 patrol aircraft. What People Are Saying U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey said on April 22: "As one of only a few nations capable of leading a deployment of this scale, the Royal Navy is once again demonstrating that U.K. defense is strong, modern, and ready to meet the threats of today and tomorrow." Commodore James Blackmore, commander of the U.K. Carrier Strike Group, said on April 22: "Working closely with partners from across the globe, Operation Highmast will demonstrate credible deterrence and our support to NATO and the rules-based international order." The British aircraft carrier HMS "Prince of Wales" launches an F-35B fighter jet while transiting the Red Sea on May 26, 2025. The British aircraft carrier HMS "Prince of Wales" launches an F-35B fighter jet while transiting the Red Sea on May 26, 2025. U.K. Ministry of Defense What Happens Next It remains to be seen whether the Prince of Wales will have the opportunity to operate with American aircraft carriers when it reaches the Western Pacific Ocean during its deployment.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
British High-Power Microwave Weapon Successfully Tested Against Drone Swarms
The British Army has, for the first time, used a directed-energy weapon to bring down a swarm of drones during trials. The Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon demonstrator, or RF DEW, reflects a fast-growing trend to harness new ways of neutralizing the drone threat, both on the battlefield and for homeland defense. The U.K. Ministry of Defense today announced the completion of the landmark trials, which took place at Air Defense Range Manorbier in West Wales. Operated by British Army soldiers, the RF DEW demonstrator, mounted on an RMMV HX60 4×4 truck chassis, was used to track, target, and defeat swarms of drones. In total, the trials saw the weapon bring down more than 100 drones, with one experiment including two swarms of drones that were neutralized in a single engagement — the total number of drones involved in that particular test was not disclosed. As a directed-energy weapon, a broader category that also includes lasers, the RF DEW system tackles the target or targets without the use of a projectile. Instead, high-frequency radio waves disrupt or damage critical electronic components inside the drones, leading them to crash or malfunction. The system is 'capable of neutralizing multiple targets simultaneously with near-instant effect,' the U.K. Ministry of Defense said. Highly automated, the RF DEW includes sensors for detection and tracking, as well as the weapon itself, in a single integrated system. The sensor suite includes a wide-area surveillance radar, also used for tracking and targeting, plus an optical camera that the operator can use to identify particular targets. The Ministry of Defense added that RF DEW systems of this type are able to defeat airborne drones at ranges of up to one kilometer (0.6 miles) and are effective against threats that cannot otherwise be jammed using electronic warfare. The ministry added that the cost 'per shot' for the RF DEW is around 10 pence or around 13 U.S. cents. 'RF DEW is an exciting concept, explained Sgt. Mayers, a Senior Remotely Piloted Air Systems Operator from the British Army's 106 Regiment Royal Artillery. 'We found the demonstrator quick to learn and easy to use. With improvements on range and power, which could come with further development, this would be a great asset to layered air defense.' Sgt. Mayers was described by the Ministry of Defense as the first British soldier to bring down drones using a radiofrequency weapon. The RF DEW system was developed by an industry consortium led by Thales U.K., part of a U.K. government investment of more than £40 million (around $53 million) in research and development in this area. Thales uses the commercial name RapidDestroyer for the RF DEW system used in the British Army trials. The company offers the system as a standalone counter-drone solution. 'part of a collective of effectors, or part of an integrated air defense configuration, such as ForceShield.' The ForceShield configuration includes radars, a control station, short-range surface-to-air missiles, and guns. According to Thales, the RF DEW system is particularly relevant for tackling 'swarms of incoming mini and micro drones, making it an excellent complementary system to existing, conventional short-range air defense systems such as the Lightweight Multi-role Missile (LMM).' The RF DEW project is managed by Team Hersa, a collaboration between Defense Equipment & Support, responsible for providing equipment and support services to the U.K. Armed Forces, and the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory, which is the research and development branch of the Ministry of Defense. At this stage, the RF DEW system is not being procured for the U.K. Armed Forces, although the Ministry of Defense notes that 'it could provide a cost-effective complement to traditional missile-based air defense systems […] if developed into operational service.' Previous reports suggest that a production version of the system could be fielded as soon as 2027. Undoubtedly, fielding new equipment to better tackle the threat posed by drones, especially swarming ones, is a growing concern globally. 'The development of RF DEW systems could help to protect the United Kingdom from unidentified drones at security-sensitive areas such as defense bases and could play a role in preventing disruption at airports,' said Maria Eagle, the Minister for Defense Procurement and Industry. Eagle's words are especially relevant in light of the drone incursions over and near the U.S. air base at RAF Lakenheath in England last November, which you can read about here. This was just one of many drone incursions recorded over a U.S. military installation or sensitive area, a topic that TWZ has covered extensively. Her reference to 'disruption at airports' likely points to incidents at the commercial Gatwick Airport in England. Back in 2018, a 'sustained drone attack' saw the airport shut for more than 24 hours, and similar incidents have occurred at the same location since then. Meanwhile, the significant impact that drones can have on the battlefield has been well demonstrated in Ukraine, where both sides make extensive use of drones of different kinds, with first-person-view (FPV) types being the most prevalent. According to the U.K. Ministry of Defense, Ukraine had to defend itself against attacks from more than 18,000 drones last year alone. Outside of that conflict, drones have also made a significant mark in various crises in and around the Middle East. In the context of U.S. homeland defense, TWZ has looked in detail at the pros and cons of fielding radiofrequency directed-energy weapons, among other counter-drone solutions. Faced by confusing legal and regulatory hurdles, the U.S. military has said it's not currently interested in fielding kinetic and directed-energy capabilities, such as laser and high-power microwave weapons, let alone surface-to-air interceptors, or gun systems, for defending domestic bases and other critical infrastructure from drone threats. Instead, the U.S. military's focus is on electronic warfare and cyber warfare, and other 'soft-kill' options, at least for now. After all, as we discussed in the past, even lower tiers of counter-drone weapons, such as lasers and high-power microwave systems, can create dangerous or otherwise serious collateral effects. While that might not be an issue on the battlefield, it certainly raises questions about their suitability for homeland defense. On the other hand, the words of the U.K. government suggest that the RF DEW system is certainly being considered for such a role, although perhaps only in already highly restricted areas, like air bases and other larger installations. A radiofrequency directed-energy weapon also offers notable advantages over 'soft-kill' options, like electronic warfare jammers, in that it can also bring down drones that are operating autonomously by disrupting their onboard electronics. As we have discussed before — and will revisit again soon in an in-depth story — high-power microwave (HPM) directed-energy weapons are an area in which the U.S. military, including the Navy, is currently investing. Among the leading players here is Epirus, whose Leonidas system has been integrated on the Stryker armored fighting vehicle. Other examples include the Tactical High-power Operational Responder, also known as THOR, a containerized counter-drone system that the U.S. Air Force has been testing. Like the British system, THOR is designed to engage multiple drones at short ranges in a point defense role. It's worth noting that another counter-drone solution appears to have been deployed by the British Army at RAF Lakenheath — and two other U.S.-staffed bases — in response to the drone incursions there last year. 'A military source … confirmed that the RAF had offered the United States a counter-drone system that can electronically take command of an enemy drone and turn it back on itself to try to identify those flying the drones,' according to The Times newspaper in the United Kingdom. The system described was NINJA, originally developed for the U.S. Air Force and subsequently becoming part of the Royal Air Force ORCUS system, which also includes a counter-drone electronic warfare jamming system called Guardian and various sensors. Although it is unclear if this capability or others were actually deployed to those bases, it's clear that counters to these kinds of drone threats are being taken increasingly seriously by the U.K. Armed Forces. The British Army last October tested a high-energy laser, another type of directed-energy weapon, which was fired from a Wolfhound protected troop-carrying vehicle, at a range in Wales. Once again, these trials saw the weapon successfully destroy aerial drones. Whatever the future of the RF DEW system and RapidDestroyer, it's clear that the drone threat continues to proliferate globally among state and non-state actors, including organized criminal groups. When it comes to acquiring and operating drones — including armed ones — the barrier to entry is and has been low. In the context of the United Kingdom, there have already been multiple incidents underscoring the reality of these kinds of threats. With that in mind, it's no surprise that the British Army is looking closely at the RF DEW system for potential deployment domestically, as well as on the battlefield, especially as the threat of truly networked swarms looms ever closer. Contact the author: thomas@
