The United States completes testing of the CHIMERA microwave air defense system
The United States has completed field tests of the powerful CHIMERA microwave antenna system for neutralizing airborne targets.
The test was conducted by Raytheon in cooperation with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).
The CHIMERA high-power microwave system is designed to protect military installations from medium- and long-range airborne threats.
During the tests, CHIMERA hit several static targets with directed energy with different variations.
The technology also reads data on airborne targets and provides continuous tracking throughout the entire flight path of the object.
“High-powered microwave systems are cost-effective and reliable solutions that play an important role in multi-level defense,” the company said.
The system is being developed as part of the US Navy’s Directed Energy Front-line Electromagnetic Neutralization and Defeat (DEFEND) program.
The three-year contract is valued at $31.3 million, and the company signed it with the US Navy’s Surface Warfare Center.
The prototypes are expected to be delivered in fiscal years 2024 and 2026.
The Pentagon spends an average of one billion dollars annually on the development of directed energy weapons to be deployed on board aircraft, warships, and ground vehicles to combat drones and missiles.
High-powered microwave equipment, in particular, works by releasing waves of energy that overload the weapon’s electronic systems, thus disabling it.
In 2023, Raytheon announced the installation of another type of directed energy weapon, a high-energy laser, on the Wolfhound armored vehicle.
