Britain’s armed forces will trial laser and radio frequency weapons as part of a “Novel Weapons Programme,” the Ministry of Defence (MOD) said on Tuesday. The MOD said it had awarded three contracts worth around £72.5 million ($100 million) to UK industry to produce advanced laser and radio frequency demonstrators as part of its “Novel Weapons Programme.” These new weapons will be integrated onto existing platforms for the Royal Navy and British Army and will undergo user experimentation from 2023 to 2025, the ministry said. The first laser device will be fitted onto a Royal Navy Type 23 frigate to detect, track, engage, and counter Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). A laser demonstrator will be trialled on the British Army’s Wolfhound armoured vehicle to test its capability against UAV and other aerial threats. The British Army will also test a radio frequency demonstrator on its MAN SV truck, to detect and …