UK Royal Air Force Deploys 'Electronic Gun' to Hack Drones in the Middle East

Attempting to Hack Drones via Electromagnetic Waves
Iranian Drones Pose Threat to Gulf States

As countries across the Middle East face threats from Iranian drone attacks, it has been reported that British Royal Air Force ground troops deployed in the region have put an "electronic gun" designed to capture drones into real-world operation. This weapon uses advanced technology to conceal a hacking program within electromagnetic waves, which are then transmitted to seize control of enemy drones.

On March 18 (local time), the British Royal Air Force introduced its ground troops’ response measures for the Middle East on its official website. Currently, the British Royal Air Force is mobilizing fighter jets, air defense weapons, and other assets to protect Cyprus and Gulf states.

ORCUS NINJA, which neutralizes drones by emitting electromagnetic waves instead of bullets. Photo captured from the Royal Air Force Instagram.

In this operation, the "electronic gun" known as ORCUS NINJA, which disables dangerous drones through hacking, was deployed. ORCUS NINJA is a device co-developed by the United States and the United Kingdom in 2021, and it neutralizes drones using intangible electromagnetic waves rather than live ammunition or missiles.

ORCUS NINJA is equipped with special sensors for intercepting electromagnetic signals, radar, and infrared cameras, enabling it to detect drones from long distances. It then fires precise electromagnetic waves to disrupt the communication signals between the drone and its control device. If a drone approaches too closely, the device attempts to hack it instead of interfering with signals. This method uses electromagnetic waves in a manner similar to wireless communication, embedding hacking programs and malicious code within the waves that are transmitted to the drone.

The British Royal Air Force emphasized, "Thanks to hacking, we can change the direction of incoming drones or guide them to land safely. This approach removes threats effectively without the need to physically destroy the drones and also provides an opportunity to collect various pieces of information, such as identifying who launched the drone."

Iranian drones pose a significant threat to Gulf states and U.S. military bases. On March 15, a U.S. military base in Kuwait was attacked by drones. As a result of the ensuing explosion, one Italian military drone stationed at the base was destroyed.

On the same day, Kataib Hezbollah, an armed group supporting Iran, attacked a U.S. military base in Iraq with small drones. That day, Kataib Hezbollah also posted footage on social networking services (SNS) showing the drone flying unimpeded, causing considerable shock.

Meanwhile, on the previous day, the UK Ministry of Defence announced in a statement that its ground troops had eliminated threats from more than ten drones and had deployed F-35 stealth fighter jets and helicopters to protect the Eastern Mediterranean.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.