In an effort to counter the increasing threat posed by enemy drones and other airborne threats, the U.S. Army is making an investment in directed energy prototype technology, with the Tactical High Power Operational Responder, or THOR, system, developed at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Directed Energy Directorate at Kirtland Air Force Base, playing a key role.
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| Leaders from the Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office enter the portable control center of Air Force Research Laboratory’s Tactical High Power Operational Responder, or THOR, to view the system’s drone-killing capabilities, Feb. 11, 2021 at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. THOR is a prototype directed energy weapon used to disable the electronics in drones, and specifically engineered to counter multiple targets – such as a drone swarm – with rapid results. (Picture source: US Air Force) |