Small, expendable drones can spy on soldiers, or worse, attack them with explosives, the magazine noted in a feature published Tuesday.
“With the Air Force’s THOR, the military has a new tool to fry an entire swarm” of drones, Popular Science said. “The system emits high-powered microwaves that hurt electronics, but not people or wildlife. Compact enough to fit on in a shipping container or a C-130 cargo plane, this electrically powered weapon can be set up in a few hours — ready to protect anyone nearby.”
In 2019, scientists and engineers, working in AFRL’s Directed Energy Directorate in New Mexico, were tasked with creating a technology that would provide additional layers of base defense against drones, AFRL said.
“In record time, the system was designed and built, with a source that uses high-power electromagnetic bursts to instantly disable swarms of small drones — and they named it THOR,” the lab said.
As the dangers from drone swarms evolve, leaders from across the Department of Defense are working closely to ensure emerging technologies like THOR, will be ready to support the needs of warfighters already engaged against these threats, the lab said in a release Tuesday.
“We couldn’t have come this far without the perseverance and professionalism of the entire THOR team,” said Dr. Jeffry Heggemeier, who leads AFRL’s High Power Electromagnetics Division. “Our scientists, Airmen, and contractors worked nights and weekends to make this all possible, and they’re still doing it every day. The real reward will be when we see a THOR defending our service members on the front lines.”
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