The war in Ukraine has highlighted a trend in armed conflicts that is repeated throughout the world. Drones have become the most lethal weapon of the armies, now the threats come from the sky.
The advancement in drone technology is even faster than the development of air defenses. High power microwave (HPM) systems are beginning to be one of the most viable options for armies.
Huge microwaves to shoot down drones
The HPM system is one of the cheapest to defend against drone attacks. These huge high-power microwaves They use pulses of electromagnetic energy that deactivate the electronic connections of the aircraft.
Israel has gone a step further in anti-drone defense. Yossi Margalit, director of the C-UAS and Low-Altitude Air Defense Systems division of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, confirms to the local media Jerusalem Post that this system has exceeded all your expectations.
Anti-drone systems with electromagnetic waves have proven to be more effective even than technologies that use a high-precision laser. Margalit has confirmed that These huge microwaves can be combined with other technologies to shoot down combat drones.
$2,000 drones versus $2 million aerial systems
Drone wars are extremely expensive for the countries involved. Armies carry out coordinated swarm-type attacks with hundreds of units daily, which has an enormous cost.
The average price of kamikaze drones used in Ukraine or Iran is around $2,000. This is relatively affordable for countries, but requires the use of systems to take them down valued at around 2 million dollars.
The Israeli military has confirmed that this model is unsustainable in the long term, they need to reduce the cost of shooting down drones at any cost. HPM systems can be the solution, They are more efficient than anti-aircraft defenses using missiles or lasers.
Huge microwaves with HPM can simultaneously attack several drones, disabling their electronic systems. The devices cannot coordinate to carry out swarm attacks and plummet without using missiles or lasers to shoot them down.
Israel has found a solution to coordinated attacks from the air. Cheap drones like Epirus’ Leonidas or Thales’ ThunderShield can be shot down with one of the simplest and cheapest techniques.