Following the rapid evolution of aerial threat capabilities, the United States Army is advancing its defensive posture against drone swarms by deploying four high-power microwave (HPM) prototypes to the Middle East. According to statements made before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee, these directed energy systems have been delivered to the Central Command (CENTCOM) area of operations as part of a broader strategy to fortify air defense mechanisms with lower cost-per-shot solutions.
Gen. Randy George, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, emphasized the immediacy of the deployment, paralleling the earlier dispatch of Stryker-mounted lasers to the region. The move represents a significant push by the Army to position soldiers to face realistic threat scenarios and environmental conditions, such as the pervasive dust in the Middle East, to assess and refine the capabilities of these advanced systems.
The high-power microwave prototypes, known as the Indirect Fire Protection Capability-High-Power Microwave (IFPC-HPM), are designed to counter drone swarms efficiently and have been produced by defense company Epirus. Col. Dave Butler, a spokesperson for the Army chief, reiterated the intention to facilitate an operational feedback loop by placing soldiers, developers, and testers side by side in the field to optimize the system.
Doug Bush, the Army’s acquisition head, reported to the Senate Armed Services airland subcommittee that while 50-kilowatt lasers have encountered integration difficulties due to size, weight, and power constraints on the move, 20-kilowatt class systems have demonstrated efficacy in fixed-site installations.
The deployment of HPM prototypes is timed with the completion of new equipment training for soldiers and successful engineering development testing against drone targets. The systems have been assessed against both single drones and swarms, with varying degrees of flight pattern complexity, positioning soldiers to now apply these systems in operational scenarios.
Relevant articles:
– CENTCOM bound: Army soldiers slated to test high-power microwaves against drone swarms, Breaking Defense, 05/22/2024
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