The armed forces of many countries are now actively developing the areas of development and production of unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as means to combat such equipment. American defense companies are actively promoting their innovative projects. For example, Raytheon recently demonstrated the work of a microwave gun, capable of reliably and effectively destroying not only unmanned aerial vehicles, but also artillery shells.
The test site was the Fort-Sill military training ground located in Oklahoma. The newest army microwave system is called High-Powered Microwave (HPM). The system was able to shoot down more than four dozen drones of different classes and types, and also coped with six projectiles fired from mortars. Unlike other air defense systems, there is an opportunity to destroy several aircraft at once with a single shot, even if they are separated by a considerable distance.
According to experts, in the future, the existing mobile air defense systems will not be difficult to retool to be able to work with High-Powered Microwave (HPM). The possibility of refurbishment is laid initially, since the development is carried out according to a special program Maneuver Fires Integrated Experiment, announced by the US defense department.
Other experimental energy weapons systems
The ultimate goal of the MFIE program is to create low-cost, highly effective means of destroying or disabling unmanned aerial vehicles. Another development under this initiative is called HEL (High-Energy Laser) - this is a laser gun. Unlike the microwave system, the emphasis here is on the fastest possible destruction of single drones. Complexes continue to improve in order to achieve high efficiency in the destruction of artillery shells - by remote blasting.
The main feature of the microwave gun is the mechanism of action - it is not the direct destruction of the target, but the "burning out" of its electronic components, as a result of which the object ceases to function. Earlier, similar experiments in the USA have already been carried out - then the ADS system was tested. She gave out electromagnetic radiation at a frequency of 94 gigahertz. It is noteworthy that such weapons could also be used against people - the installation could illiterate enemy infantry at a distance of 300 meters (a severe headache appears, as well as a number of other unpleasant symptoms).
Neither the US Department of Defense, nor Raytheon, informs whether the new equipment will be put into service and when this may occur. According to experts, it will take at least 5 years to refine the systems to serial samples.
