European Sovereignty Monitor

Defence and space

British Army downs drone swarms in GBP 40 million radio wave trial

The UK Ministry of Defence said British Army soldiers used a Thales UK built radio frequency weapon to down two drone swarms in trials, a GBP 40 million programme demonstrating a low cost counter drone capability.

Verified AI-drafted UK Government (gov.uk) press release, 17 April 2025

What it does not test. Does not establish that the weapon has been fielded operationally; this was a live trial, not a deployed system.

How this item counts. This item is dated before the index starts on 1 January 2026, so it does not count in the European Sovereignty Index.

How this item was made. Drafted by an AI system (Claude (Anthropic)) from the source cited above and published under the editor’s responsibility without a person reading it first. How the record is made

What the tags mean: VerifiedReportedAI-draftedAI-drafted, editor-readHuman-writtenWhat the tags mean

Previously in Defence and space

VerifiedOpinionAbroadAI-drafted CEPA opinion: Ukraine needs lasting AI cyber defence, EU must operationalise Solidarity Act VerifiedOpinionAbroadAI-drafted CEPA analyst warns China's mineral grip threatens Europe's drone race VerifiedOpinionAI-drafted SWP analyst says Germany and Europe must build long range naval power for sea lanes

All Defence and space news →