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<\/p>\nKIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFNS) — The Air Force Research Laboratory\u2019s Directed Energy Directorate is seeking partners to build a new counter electronics weapon system, to defend against the ever increasing threat of adversarial drone activity.<\/p>\n
Building upon the success of the Tactical High-Power Operational Responder technology demonstrator, AFRL is building an advanced high-power microwave weapon system to bring their newest technology to bear against the growing threat from unmanned aircraft.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe new prototype will be called Mjolnir, after the mythical Norse god, Thor\u2019s hammer,\u201d said Amber Anderson, THOR program manager. \u201cBecause THOR was so successful, we wanted to keep the new system\u2019s name in the THOR family.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The AFRL team, working from Kirtland Air Force Base, are experts in High-Power Electromagnetics technology. The THOR demonstrator used bursts of intense radio waves to disable small unmanned aircraft systems instantly.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter a successful 2-year testing campaign, the AFRL team has learned a lot about the benefits of the technology and how it can be improved,\u201d Anderson said.<\/p>\n
The Mjolnir prototype will use the same technology, but will add important advances in capability, reliability and manufacturing readiness.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are releasing an opportunity for businesses in the directed energy field, to help us build the follow-on system,\u201d said Adrian Lucero, THOR deputy program manager. \u201cAFRL\u2019s goal is to create a blueprint for our partners so these systems can be economically produced in large quantities, and to grow a fledgling industry that will become critically important as the U.S. strives to maintain our electromagnetic spectrum superiority.\u201d<\/p>\n
AFRL is working closely with cross-service partners in the Joint Counter sUAS Office and the Army\u2019s Rapid Capability and Critical Technologies Office.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs the danger from drone swarms evolves, all services are working closely to ensure emerging technologies like Mjolnir, will be ready to support the needs of warfighters already engaged against these threats,\u201d Lucero said. \u201cThe program will begin this fall with a delivery of the prototype weapon in 2023.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFNS) — The Air Force Research Laboratory\u2019s Directed Energy Directorate is seeking partners to build a new counter electronics weapon system, to defend against the ever increasing threat of adversarial drone activity. Building upon the success of the Tactical High-Power Operational Responder technology demonstrator, AFRL is building an advanced high-power […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3507,"featured_media":161826,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n