DEWs, using HELs (light beams) and HPMs (microwave bursts), offer precise, low-cost UAV defeat options. Global R&D is active, but TRLs range from 3-8 and systems face high costs, infrastructure needs, and atmospheric limits. Ukraine should avoid near-term investment; even advanced systems aren't scalable yet.

Invisible defender?

Opportunities and challenges for integrating DEWs into Ukraine's C-UAS framework

Stuart Dee, Katja Fedina, Kiran Suman-Chauhan, Evie Graham, Daniel Hill, Andrew Gibson

ResearchPublished Dec 8, 2025

DEWs are an emerging technology presenting an effector option to defeat UAVs. DEWs appeal because of their precision, reported range and low cost at point of use. Systems can be categorised broadly into HELs that produce a narrow beam of light to blind/damage targets and HPMs which produce wide bursts of microwaves, causing electronics to malfunction in targets.

Although several countries including the UK, United States, China and Israel are exploring DEWs actively, the TRLs of this technology vary significantly. Whilst some projects are reported at TRL 7-8, others are at TRL 3-4, and all come with fundamental constraints in use case and development cost.

DEWs should not be a near-term investment focus for Ukraine. Whilst DEWs are an appealing technological pursuit which can affect multiple targets at once and reduce reliance on munitions, these systems present significant practical limitations for Ukraine. Even advanced (US and UK) systems are not yet ready to be deployed at scale. Their low at-use costs mask significant R&D investments and DEW systems have significant infrastructure requirements and atmospheric sensitivities.

Recommendations

  • Actively monitoring the development and deployment of ongoing projects in other nations to assess whether this development area should be prioritised in the future and if partner nations exhibit realistic willingness to export the technology.
  • The development of alternative systems. In the near term, the fundamental cost and use-case limitations of DEW development present an opportunity cost and resource distraction for Ukraine. Current Ukrainian defence needs would be better served by other capabilities that can more immediately provide affordable mass.
  • Actively monitoring the further evolution of low-power, soft-kill, energy output systems within the DEW technology set. These systems may present a more viable alternative for Ukraine but are likely still expensive and complicated to deploy in the near term.

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Dee, Stuart, Katja Fedina, Kiran Suman-Chauhan, Evie Graham, Daniel Hill, and Andrew Gibson, Invisible defender? Opportunities and challenges for integrating DEWs into Ukraine's C-UAS framework. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2025. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA3833-7.html.
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