The Air Force Is Deploying Its First Drone-Killing Microwave Weapon
The U.S. Air Force is sending PHASER overseas—the first direct energy weapon ever fielded and a huge milestone for the controversial weapon system.
By Joe Pappalardo
Sep 24, 2019
Drone attacks, including the recent swarm strike in Saudi Arabia, are increasing, and so is the Pentagon's interest in killing them.
Yesterday afternoon, the Pentagon notified Congress of its purchase of a microwave weapon system designed to knock down swarms of enemy drones with pulses of energy. The purchase comes with an intent to deploy the PHASER system overseas for a year-long assessment, making it the first directed energy defense weapon to ever be fielded.
The U.S. Air Force spent $16.28 million for one prototype PHASER high power microwave system for a “field assessment for purposes of experimentation†in an unspecified location outside the U.S. The test is “expected to be completed by Dec. 20, 2020,†making the overseas deployment “against real-world or simulated hostile vignettes†imminent.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a29198555/phaser-weapon-air-force/
