New Russian Rex-1 anti-drone rifle system ready to be tested

The Russian Company ZALA Aero member of Concern Kalashnikov of the Rostec State Corporation, has developed the Rex-1, a new electronic weapon designed to combat unmanned vehicles. The Company expects the first field test of the weapon in 2018.

Rex-1 anti-drone rifle system designed and manufactured by the Russian Company ZALA Aero.

If the tests are a successful, this non-lethal weapon is expected to be commercialized. Many security, defence and law enforcement agencies are interested to purchase the new system.

The Rex-1 rifle design is very similar to a machine gun but it does not fire any rounds. It has an integrated suppression module that masks out signals of GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo satellite navigation systems within a radius of five kilometres. The device is also capable of blocking GSM, 3G, LTE signals and jamming at the frequencies of 900 MHz, 2.4, 5.2–5.8 GHz. When Rex-1 is fired at an aerial vehicle, the drone gets out of contact with the control point and lands smoothly.

This electronic device weighing 4.2 kg is equipped with batteries ensuring the operation of all devices for 3 hours. It is designed for operation under temperatures of -40 to +50 оC. The compact weapon is put on standby by pressing one button. Rex-1 is capable of suppressing satellite navigation systems at a distance of 5 km.

Rex-1 is designed for ensuring safety at secure facilities and for special counter-terrorist missions. The weapon can also be used for engineering tasks, neutralization of homemade bombs activated via a mobile phone signal.