In October 2025, a highly challenging unauthorized drone incident occurred at an international airport. A deeply modified FPV drone, with all radio signals turned off, penetrated the runway clearance zone at 80 km/h at low altitude. Traditional RF jamming equipment was completely ineffective. Fortunately, a newly deployed directed energy counter-UAS product locked onto and precisely suppressed the target within 3 seconds, successfully forcing it to crash in a safe area, averting a potential major aviation accident.

This case once again thrust “directed energy technology” into the spotlight—is it the “ultimate answer” to the challenges of civilian counter-UAS, or is it an over-hyped concept? Against the backdrop of the formal implementation of the “Interim Regulations on the Flight Management of Unmanned Aircraft” and the surge in demand for low-altitude security, can directed energy technology truly become a “killer product” in the civilian sector? This article, drawing on the latest case studies and industry trends, delves into its potential and limitations.

1. The Civilian Counter-UAS Predicament: Why Do Traditional Methods Frequently Fail?

Currently, the counter-UAS industry faces three core pain points in the civilian domain:

1. “Silent Flight” Renders Detection Systems Blind
Among unauthorized drone incidents reported domestically in 2025, over 60% employed pre-programmed routes combined with inertial navigation, with both video transmission and remote control signals switched off throughout the flight. Traditional equipment relying on RF detection is completely ineffective against such targets.

2. Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum Breaches Electronic Barriers
Illegal drones commonly utilize FHSS technology, switching frequencies every millisecond. Tests by a public security department showed that 90% of narrowband jamming devices had an interception success rate of less than 40%.

3. High False Alarm Rates in Urban Environments Undermine Law Enforcement Credibility
Civilian signals like Wi-Fi and 5G base stations cause frequent system false alarms. During a National Day security operation in 2025, a provincial capital city experienced over 60 false alarms daily, significantly draining police resources.

As one airport security official candidly stated, “It’s not that we lack equipment; we lack reliable gear that can ‘strike accurately, intercept effectively, and avoid collateral interference’.”

2. Directed Energy Technology: A New Path from Military to Civilian Use

Directed energy counter-UAS products refer to systems that use highly focused energy beams to perform precise interference or functional destruction on target drones in a specific direction, without affecting surrounding electronic devices. Compared to traditional omnidirectional jamming, their core advantages are:

• High Directivity: Energy is concentrated on the target direction, avoiding interference with civil aviation communications, medical equipment, etc.

• Fast Response: The process from detection to engagement can be completed within 1–3 seconds.

• Strong Anti-Frequency Hopping Capability: It does not rely on identifying specific frequency bands; it directly disrupts the drone’s internal electronic components.

In 2025, a “directed energy module” achieved its first engineering application in a domestic civilian setting. This module, integrated into a multi-layer defense system, can perform “point-to-point” suppression against high-speed drones, achieving a 92% interception success rate against non-signal-emitting targets in field tests.

3. Combat Validation: How Does Directed Energy Change the Game?

1. Airport Clear Zones: Precision Strike, Zero Interference
In a pilot program at Chengdu Tianfu Airport, a “directed energy module” successfully intercepted 12 silent drone incidents. After the system located the target via an acoustic array, the directed energy device automatically aimed and emitted a microwave pulse, completing the engagement in just 2.8 seconds without affecting any flight communications.

2. Law Enforcement: Portable, Efficient, Rapid Deployment
In December 2025, a provincial public security department used portable directed energy devices during a major event security operation, successfully neutralizing 5 illegal flights. The device weighs only 8kg, is man-portable, and has a response time of under 3 seconds, receiving high praise from frontline officers.

3. Energy Facilities: Safe Control, No Residual Risk
After a nuclear power plant deployed a fixed-position directed energy system, it successfully intercepted a modified drone attempting to drop contraband. The system precisely destroyed its flight control module, causing it to drop in place, avoiding the risk of uncontrolled flight that traditional jamming might cause.

4. Technical Challenges: Three Hurdles Remain for Civilian Adoption

Despite its promising prospects, the widespread adoption of directed energy counter-UAS products in the civilian sector still faces practical obstacles:

1. High Cost, Difficult for Large-Scale Deployment
The price of a high-performance directed energy system is 3–5 times that of traditional jamming equipment, making it difficult for small and medium-sized airports or county-level public security units to afford.

2. The Power vs. Safety Balance Dilemma
Insufficient energy renders the system ineffective, while excessive energy may cause collateral damage to surrounding electronic devices. Finding the balance between “effective countermeasure” and “absolute safety” is a core technical challenge.

3. Lack of Unified Standards and Regulatory Adaptation
Currently, the state has not yet issued operational guidelines for directed energy equipment in civilian applications. Law enforcement units have concerns regarding authorization, operation, and liability determination.

As one expert noted, “Directed energy is not a panacea; it must be embedded within an integrated defense system to realize its maximum value.”

5. Future Outlook: From “Premium Option” to “Standard Feature”

As technology matures and costs decline, directed energy counter-UAS products are expected to enter a phase of large-scale application between 2026 and 2028:

• Domestic Chip Production Reduces Manufacturing Costs: The application of new materials like Gallium Nitride (GaN) is expected to reduce the cost of power amplifier modules by over 40%.

• Intelligent Guidance Improves Strike Accuracy: AI algorithms can automatically calculate optimal engagement angles and power levels, reducing trial and error.

• Gradual Regulatory Refinement: The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is researching and formulating a “Technical Guide for Civilian Directed Energy Countermeasure Equipment” to clarify usage boundaries.

Research and development are underway for a second-generation directed energy module, aiming to reduce its size by 50% and cost by 60%, making it suitable for broader scenarios like county-level public security and small to medium-sized airports.

Conclusion: Technology is a Tool, but the System is the Answer

Directed energy technology undoubtedly offers new possibilities for civilian counter-UAS applications, but it is not a “silver bullet.” In the systematic project of low-altitude security, the value of directed energy counter-UAS products lies not in “fighting alone,” but in serving as a critical component within an integrated, multi-layered drone countermeasure solution, working in coordination with other technologies.

As the airport interception case in 2025 demonstrated, what truly safeguards low-altitude airspace is not a single “black technology,” but a comprehensive defense system built from legal authorization, reliable equipment, intelligent algorithms, and practical experience.

Looking ahead, as technology iterates and regulations improve, directed energy is poised to evolve from a “premium option” into a “standard feature.” However, its ultimate success will depend on its ability to deliver in real-world scenarios—achieving outcomes that are fast, accurate, stable, and safe.