Defensive microwave antenna systems under contract by Raytheon, USAF, Navy
NewsDecember 19, 2023
TUCSON, Ariz. Raytheon will design, build, and test two high-power microwave antenna systems for the U.S. military that will use directed energy to defeat airborne threats; the systems are intended to be rugged and transportable for use on the front lines where needed.
Under the terms of the three-year, $31.3 million contract from the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, Raytheon is tasked with delivering prototype nonkinetic weapons systems to the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force as part of the Directed Energy Front-line Electromagnetic Neutralization and Defeat (DEFEND) program.
Work on the contract is underway in Tucson, Arizona, in partnership with the U.S. Air Force Research Lab, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, and the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
It is expected that prototypes of the directed-energy weapons will be delivered in fiscal years 2024 and 2026.
