The U.S. defense system THOR can take out an entire swarm of drones. © IMAGO / ZUMA Wire
The U.S. is developing an efficient defense system against swarms of drones. With THOR, the flying objects can be easily destroyed.
Washington/Munich - Drones have come to play an important role in modern warfare. We are currently seeing this in the Ukraine war, where both the Russian and Ukrainian militaries are relying on the flying objects. Drones are comparatively inexpensive and can cause sensitive damage when equipped with explosive devices.
U.S. develops smart defense system: THOR renders drones harmless with microwaves
The danger of drones has been made clear not least by Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine. The U.S. has long recognized the risks and began developing a defense system years ago. In the spring of 2019, the U.S. Air Force conducted the first tests. Now THOR - the name stands for "Tactical High Power Microwave Operational Responder" - seems to be mature and ready for use, reports the US online news magazine Task & Purpose.
The drone defense system is designed to eliminate entire swarms. At the push of a button, THOR fires high-energy microwave shots, rendering drones incapacitated within a 360-degree radius of the site. Due to the microwaves, which are emitted in the shape of a funnel, the electronics of the flying objects are disturbed - they crash before they reach their destination. "It works kind of like a flashlight," project manager Amber Anderson was quoted as saying by Task & Purpose at the time.
THOR drone defence system ready for use in three hours
THOR, which is designed to protect military bases and critical infrastructure from drone attacks, is said to have been developed in just 18 months, at a cost of around $15 million (€13.2 million). The simple system has other advantages. It simply consists of a device that resembles a satellite dish mounted on a container. This makes it easy to load and transport from aircraft. According to the Air Force Research Laboratory, it takes two men just three hours to set up THOR.
Because of its success, the USA is already researching a further development of THOR. A first prototype of the new counter-electronic weapon system "Mjolnir" is expected to arrive later this year, Adrian Lucero, deputy program manager of THOR, said in a press release. It is said to be more powerful and reliable. (mt)
