{"id":50427,"date":"2023-12-26T15:41:59","date_gmt":"2023-12-26T15:41:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2023\/12\/26\/raytheon-prototyping-directed-energy-zappers-for-us-air-force-navy\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:36:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:36:46","slug":"raytheon-prototyping-directed-energy-zappers-for-us-air-force-navy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/industry\/2023\/12\/26\/raytheon-prototyping-directed-energy-zappers-for-us-air-force-navy\/","title":{"rendered":"Raytheon prototyping directed-energy zappers for US Air Force, Navy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 The Air Force and the Navy have tapped Raytheon to design, build and test systems that fry electronic components with blasts of energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The company, a division of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c4isrnet.com\/industry\/2023\/06\/20\/raytheon-rebrands-as-rtx\/\" target=\"_blank\">the rebranded RTX<\/a>, plans to deliver prototypes for the Directed Energy Front-Line Electromagnetic Neutralization and Defeat program, or DEFEND, in fiscal 2024 and 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Work on the high-power microwave antenna systems, as the company described them in an announcement earlier this month, is already underway in Tucson, Arizona. Its DEFEND contract is worth $31.3 million over three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNon-kinetic defense systems are a key part of America\u2019s national defense strategy,\u201d Colin Whelan, president of advanced technology at Raytheon, said in a statement. \u201cThe new iterations of Raytheon\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c4isrnet.com\/battlefield-tech\/2023\/09\/18\/directed-energy-weapons-making-jump-from-sci-fi-to-real-world\/\" target=\"_blank\">high-power microwave systems<\/a> are cost-effective and reliable solutions that operate at the speed of light \u2014 enabling our warfighters to defend against faster and more maneuverable threats.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/industry\/2023\/12\/12\/l3harris-says-viper-shield-electronic-warfare-tool-for-f-16s-nears-goal\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/7728228.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">L3Harris says Viper Shield electronic warfare tool for F-16s nears goal<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Viper Shield suite will be fitted aboard Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70\/72 jets sold to foreign militaries.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Pentagon is spending an average $1 billion annually to develop directed-energy weapons, with the goal of deploying them aboard aircraft, warships and ground vehicles to bat down drones and missiles. High-power microwave equipment, specifically, works by unleashing waves of energy that overwhelm the internal circuitry of weapons, rendering them useless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Raytheon said its prototypes will be rugged and transportable for front-line <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c4isrnet.com\/news\/your-navy\/2023\/12\/24\/uss-laboon-shoots-down-four-drones-in-red-sea\/\" target=\"_blank\">use against \u201cairborne threats.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The company previously worked on the Counter-Electronic High Power Microwave Extended Range Air Base Defense, known as CHIMERA, for the Air Force. Overseas, Raytheon UK announced earlier this year it would install another type of directed-energy weapon, a high-energy laser, onto a Wolfhound armored vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">RTX is the second largest contractor in the world when ranked by defense revenue, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/people.defensenews.com\/top-100\/\" target=\"_blank\">Defense News Top 100 analysis<\/a>. The company earned $39.6 billion in 2022.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cNon-kinetic defense systems are a key part of America\u2019s national defense strategy,\u201d said Colin Whelan, the president of advanced technology at 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