Raytheon shoots down drone with lasers, microwaves in Air Force test

UPI ^ | May 1, 2019 / 1:49 PM | By Ed Adamczyk

[Red Badger]

May 1 (UPI) -- A U.S. Air Force exercise involving high-energy microwaves and guided lasers to shoot down drones was a success, contractor Raytheon announced.

Dozens of unmanned aerial targets were defeated in the tests at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., a Raytheon statement released on Tuesday said.

The event expanded on previous directed energy demonstrations, including a U.S. Army exercise in 2017 and a previous Air Force test in January.

The high energy laser system uses invisible beams of light to shoot down aerial targets, and the high-powered microwave bursts disrupt drone guidance systems. Its primary advantages are speed and a low cost per engagement. The weapons have been mounted on all-terrain vehicles specially made by Minnesota's Polaris Industries for the military.

"After decades of research and investment, we believe these advanced directed energy applications will soon be ready for the battlefield to help protect people, assets and infrastructure," said Dr. Thomas Bussing, Raytheon Advanced Missile Systems vice president.

Raytheon and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory have partnered on a $2 million contract to test and demonstrate high-power microwave and counter-UAV [unmanned aerial system] technologies. Read More Drones to the rescue: Public safety officials invest in UAVs Army picks Raytheon for counter-UAV drones Israel shoots down Syrian drone with Patriot missile

Topics Drones

[Red Badger]

Dozens of drones were successfully brought down using guided lasers and microwaves from a movable platform aboard an all-terrain vehicle in a U.S. Air Force test. Photo courtesy of US. Air Force

[csvset]

[Sirius Lee]

And there’s room for a cooler between the sets of clubs

[Sirius Lee]

And there’s room for a cooler between the sets of clubs

[Red Badger]

It can clear an entire tree line in 30 seconds...................

[Calvin Locke]

How's that work in this situation: Intel's 500 Drone Light Show | Intel?

Jump to 1:27 for the show.

[Innovative]

Excellent. Soon ready for the battle field.

[csvset]

[EEGator]

Lasers...

[ProtectOurFreedom]

They better plaster that vehicle with LOTS of warning signs. They may want to up the MAX OUTPUT on the sign a wee bit, too.

[EEGator]

Blackwater is hiring people to work in NM on directed energy weapons...

[Hatteras]

Polaris really has to beef up their suspension package and those little teething rings they call tires.

[Calvin Locke]

But can it make popcorn?

Real Genius (8/8) Movie CLIP - Jerry's House of Popcorn (1985) HD

[Kommodor]

Sounds good. How long before they can knock down some missiles with it?

[Red Badger]

Soon, Grasshopper, soon..................

[antidemoncrat]

I still wonder how effective laser weapons will be in a very dusty or thick gun powder smoke environment.

[Red Badger]

Certain wavelengths of light and microwaves are not bothered much by it...................

[Tell It Right]

We already have some that "knock down" missiles, but only if applied for a long time (long enough to fry the internal components). We're not ready yet for deployment.

And I'll doubt we'll ever get to the Star Wars/Star Trek type of lasers that are visible to the naked eye and cause big explosions.

[Zhang Fei]

[And I’ll doubt we’ll ever get to the Star Wars/Star Trek type of lasers that are visible to the naked eye and cause big explosions. ]

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Never mind the big explosions. How about the cool laser sounds?

[Celtic Conservative]

You did not disappoint. Thanks.

CC