Russia to kill drones, missiles with 10km-range super-high frequency cannon

The Mosow Radio Engineering Institute has developed a super-high frequency (SHF) ‘cannon’. It’s designed to knock out aircraft, drones, guided missiles and any airborne high precision weapons using electronics.

The cannon creates an air-exclusion zone within a reported radius of over 10 kilometers around the defended object or installation, though the system’s exact characteristics are classified.

“This mobile microwave irradiation complex performs off-frequency rejection of electronics aboard low-altitude aerial targets and warheads of high precision weapons,” a source in Rostech Corporation told TASS, adding this system puts close range air defenses on a whole new level.

“In terms of performance capabilities, the complex has no competitors in the world,” the source said. All the equipment is mounted on a tracked Buk missile air defense transportation platform.

“When installed on a special platform, an SHF ‘cannon’ provides all-around defense,” the source said, adding the complex is also planned to be used to test domestic-made military radio-electronic systems for resistance against high-power microwave radiation.

The SHF ‘cannon’ will be unveiled in the classified area of Army-2015 expo, an international military forum that will take place at the ‘Patriot’ military amusement park outside Moscow between June 16 and 19.

In April this year, the US Navy released a video detailing its LOCUST technology – a new tool allowing multiple drones to coordinate and swarm the enemy. Reportedly, it’s designed to protect large US vessels. However, when armed with warheads they turn into offensive weapons.

READ MORE: Drones will hunt in packs, as US Navy unveils LOCUST prototype launcher

An attack of a squadron of drones on a defended installation makes the task of taking them out really troublesome and resource-consuming for existing air defense systems.

The out-of-band 360-degree radiation suppression by an SHF ‘cannon’ looks like a universal solution for maintaining secure air defense against swarming drone attacks.