Raytheon high-power microwave system for USAF
Raytheon is to deliver a prototype high-power microwave (HPM) system to the US Air Force under a contract announced on 24 September.
The system will be deployed to troops overseas and used to destroy hostile drones.
The HPM system uses directed energy to defeat hostile drones with a wide beam that can disable multiple targets at one time.
The contract follows a separate contract under which Raytheon will build two prototype high-energy laser (HEL) systems, also to be deployed overseas. The HPM and HEL systems can be used independently or together to challenge UAS threats.
Thomas Bussing, Raytheon Advanced Missile Systems vice president, said: ‘There's more than one way to defeat a drone. We are delivering the world's first defensive directed energy systems that can be used alone or in tandem to defeat enemy drones at the speed of light.’
More from Land Warfare
-
![Estonian Army receives first 50 of 230 light armoured vehicles]()
Estonian Army receives first 50 of 230 light armoured vehicles
The armoured vehicles are fitted with 12.7mm heavy machine guns and came off the production line with specific Estonian requirements. Only the communications subsystems and some other minor equipment were added to vehicles in Estonia.
-
![Thales to supply 500 of its new Vehicle Mounted SquadNet Radios to a NATO country]()
Thales to supply 500 of its new Vehicle Mounted SquadNet Radios to a NATO country
The newly disclosed Thales UK Vehicle Mounted SquadNet Radio (VMSR) offers full interoperability with the soldier radio variant to provide secure and reliable voice connection.
-
![Modern militaries crawl towards electrification of the battlefield]()
Modern militaries crawl towards electrification of the battlefield
Full electrification of their land and air vehicles may be beyond modern militaries for now. But how close are they to the tipping point of the widespread use of electric vehicles?
-
![Pearson Engineering to supply mine ploughs and dozer blades for Polish Abrams tanks]()
Pearson Engineering to supply mine ploughs and dozer blades for Polish Abrams tanks
The contract follows news released in 2023 that a first customer had taken into service Pearson Engineering’s new Slice system enabling the interoperability of Front-End Equipment (FEE) between main battle tanks and dedicated engineering vehicles.
-
![Aselsan successfully tests Gökberk system against FPV drones]()
Aselsan successfully tests Gökberk system against FPV drones
The system had been previously proven to work against rotary and fixed-wing kamikaze drones, with Aselsan now working on new capabilities for Gökberk to counter UAV swarms.
