British soldiers have used a “game-changing” radio-wave weapon that can destroy drones for less than the cost of a pack of mince pies.

The British Army trialled a Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon that can “detect, track and engage a range of threats across land, air and sea.”

The Ministry of Defence said the weapons can destroy targets up to 1000 metres away.

Each fire costs an estimated 10p, providing chiefs with “a cost-effective complement to traditional missile-base air defence systems”.

The weapon uses high frequency waves to disrupt or damage critical electronic components inside devices such as drones, causing them to be immobilised or fall out of the sky.

Defence minister Maria Eagle said it was a “potentially game-changing” weapon.

The war in Ukraine and Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping have demonstrated how low-cost drones can have a devastating impact.

Defence procurement minister Ms Eagle said: “The successful firing by the British soldiers of our radio frequency directed energy weapon is another step forward for a potentially game-changing sovereign weapon for the UK.

“It’s great to see defence experts and industry working collaboratively to put cutting-edge equipment in the hands of our armed forces.

“This is a demonstration of the UK remaining at the forefront of directed energy weapons and developing a crucial advantage against the emerging threats we face.”

The army successfully trialled a demonstrator version of the RFDEW in a live firing exercise against drones at a range in west Wales.

The development system has been produced by a consortium led by Thales UK, including sub-contractors QinetiQ, Teledyne e2v and Horiba Mira, and supports up to 135 high-skilled jobs in the UK.