THOR (Tactical High-powered Operational Responder) is a US-developed short-range directed energy weapon (DEW) demonstrator targeted at disabling drone swarms.[1][2]

THOR is one of a series of directed energy countermeasures targeting small, cheap drones. An alternative DEW technology is lasers that can burn through a drone's hull and circuitry, but a laser must focus on an individual target in order to disable it.[1]

Design

THOR directs pulsed microwave energy at its targets, disabling their electronics.[1] Set-up time is 3 hours. It can be powered with grid electricity. The system can be moved in a 20-foot container.

Development costs totaled $18 million. BAE Systems, Leidos, and Verus Research were involved in the project.[2] The THOR project is led by the Air Force Strategic Development Planning & Experimentation (SDPE) Office.[3] The weapon is considered inventory of the United States Air Force High Energy Laser Weapon Systems (HELWS).[4]

History

THOR achieved a successful demonstration in February 2021 at Kirtland Air Force Base, disabling a single drone. In December 2020, THOR was also tested in Africa.[5]

That year Air Force Research Lab announced a follow-on system named for Thor's hammer Mjolnir. In December 2022, the lab selected Leidos to build Mjolnir, which was to offer advances in capability, reliability, and manufacturability.[6]

In 2023 THOR was able to disable a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles at the Conventional High Explosives & Simulation Test range (Chestnut range), in an AFRL test.[1]

As of 2023 THOR had not moved into production. The use of drones in war is growing rapidly. In the Russo-Ukrainian War, Ukraine uses up approximately 10,000 per month.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Atherton, Kelsey D. (2023-05-23). "The Air Force used microwave energy to take down a drone swarm". Popular Science. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
  2. 1 2 Parken, Oliver (2023-05-19). "THOR Microwave Anti-Drone System Downs Swarms In Test". The Drive. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
  3. ↑ "AFRL gives warfighters new weapons system". Robins Air Force Base. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  4. ↑ Hitchens, Theresa. "AF Says Lasers Are Being Field Tested, But NOT THOR Or Other Microwave Weapon". Breaking Defense. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  5. ↑ Desk, iHLS News (2020-12-24). "US Counter-Drone Microwave Weapon Tested in Africa". iHLS. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  6. ↑ Hadley, Greg (2023-05-19). "THOR Hammers Drone Swarm with High-Power Microwaves". Air & Space Forces Magazine. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
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