THOR (weapon)
The Tactical High-power Operational Responder (THOR) is a high-power microwave directed energy weapon developed by the United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).
Design
[edit]THOR is designed to counter unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by sending out a high-power, short pulse of microwaves to disable electronics through overwhelming critical components intended to carry electrical currents. This is effective at intercepting drone swarms; while a laser needs time to burn through one at a time, a High-Power Microwave (HPM) weapon can fire in an arc to disable multiple UAVs at once and refire in rapid succession. Compared to hard-kill methods for engaging drones, THOR's radio bursts have a wider engagement range, are silent, and are instantaneous. Intended for base defense, the system resembles a 20 ft (6.1 m) shipping container with a satellite dish attached. It can be transported on a C-130 Hercules and assembled by two personnel in under three hours.[1][2][3][4][5]
History
[edit]THOR first began testing in spring 2019. The system was developed quickly in 18 months for $18 million. The program represents a collaboration between AFRL, BAE Systems, Leidos, and Verus Research, an engineering firm based in Albuquerque.[6][7][8] An Air Force official said in December 2020 that THOR was being tested "in a real-world setting" in Africa,[9] but that statement was then retracted.[10]
The AFRL began solicitations for contractors to develop a follow-on prototype to THOR in July 2021 called Mjölnir, named after Thor's hammer. Mjölnir will incorporate improvements in capability, reliability, and manufacturing readiness to produce a deployable system that can be made in large numbers. In February 2022, the AFRL awarded Leidos a $26 million contract to build the system.[4][11]
On 5 April 2023, THOR successfully engaged multiple targets in a simulated swarm attack in a demonstration at the Chestnut Test Site, Kirtland Air Force Base; the number of drones downed and at what range was not disclosed.[7][8][12][13]
See also
[edit]- Counter-electronics High Power Microwave Advanced Missile Project
- Death ray – Theoretical weapon
- Epirus Leonidas – American high-power microwave (HPM) weapon
- FK-4000 – Chinese high-power microwave weapon
- Hurricane (weapon) – Chinese high-power microwave weapon
- Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon – United Kingdom radio-frequency directed-energy weapon (RF-DEW) demonstrator
- Raytheon Phaser – Directed-energy weapon
References
[edit]- ↑ Air Force's Mjölnir? Service Testing THOR Anti-Drone System. Military.com. 25 April 2019.
- ↑ Troops To Test AFRL’s THOR Drone Killer This Fall. Breaking Defense. 4 August 2020.
- ↑ Air Force's THOR Microwave Weapon Instantly Ends Enemy Drone Attack in New Video. Military.com. 21 June 2021.
- 1 2 Killing drones with Thor’s hammer: Air Force eyes counter-UAS ‘Mjölnir’ weapon. Defense News. 28 February 2022.
- ↑ The Air Force used microwave energy to take down a drone swarm. Popular Science. 23 May 2023.
- ↑ The US Air Force has a new weapon called THOR that can take out swarms of drones. The Verge. 21 June 2019.
- 1 2 THOR microwave weapon hammers drone swarms in demo test. New Atlas. 28 May 2023.
- 1 2 THOR Microwave Anti-Drone System Downs Swarms In Test. The War Zone. 19 May 2023.
- ↑ THOR: Air Force Tests Counter-Drone Microwave In Africa. Breaking Defense. 17 December 2020.
- ↑ AF Says Lasers Are Being Field Tested, But NOT THOR Or Other Microwave Weapon. Breaking Defense. 22 December 2020.
- ↑ AFRL Looking for Contractors to Build Anti-UAS High-Powered Microwave. Air & Space Forces Magazine. 30 July 2021.
- ↑ AFRL conducts swarm technology demonstration. Air Force Research Laboratory. 16 May 2023.
- ↑ THOR Hammers Drone Swarm with High-Power Microwaves. Air & Space Forces Magazine. 19 May 2023.
External links
[edit]- "THOR (Tactical High-power Operational Responder) Destroys Swarms of Enemy Drones". youtu.be. March 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
- "TACTICAL HIGH POWER OPERATIONAL RESPONDER (THOR) – Air Force Research Laboratory". afresearchlab.com. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
- "Army partners with Air Force's THOR for base defense". Air Force. 2021-02-23. Retrieved 2023-05-27.[dead link]