The U.S. Air Force released a video animation of the directed energy weapon designed at Kirtland Air Force Base. The Tactical High-power Operational Responder, or THOR, was built to protect military bases from enemy drone attacks.
Amber Anderson, the project manager, said the video was created as a way to better explain the technology to the public. She said one of the reasons for the campaign is to inform the public about what the country is doing to prepare as drones become more commonplace in the skies.
“I think drones impact everyday life. You don’t want drones flying over you and spying on you because your neighbor got a new toy,” Anderson said. “I think it’s important to know what the country is doing to try to protect people from those.”
THOR looks like a shipping container with a satellite dish on the top. The Air Force Research Laboratory’s Directed Energy Directorate, which is based at KAFB, spent $15 million to create the system prototype with some assistance from engineering firms BAE Systems and Leidos and from the Albuquerque firm Verus Research.
The weapon can shoot an electromagnetic cone — Anderson likened it to a shotgun blast of energy — that can cause a fleet of drones to fall to earth.
The system can be shipped in a C-130 transport aircraft and reconstructed by two people in a few hours, according to the Air Force.
Source: Stars & Stripes