The United States Navy plans to test an onboard microwave weapon, the METEOR, on one of its ships by the end of 2026. This will be the first field test of the ship-based microwave device, which the Navy says will be used as a counter-measure against drone and anti-ship missile attacks.
Developing a cost-effective weapon that can eliminate aerial drones — and other small projectiles — has been a top priority of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). The ongoing military campaign against the Houthi rebels in Yemen has illustrated the fiscal drawback of using expensive, single-use missile ordinances against cheap weapons like drones.
The Navy says the METEOR — a microwave-based counter-air defense system — can not only neutralize threats but also efficiently track them. DOD budget documents suggest the METEOR high-powered microwave weapon development will bring low cost-per-shot, deep magazine capacity, tactically significant range, and short time engagement for multiple target approaches. Additionally, the weapon will hold a dual deception and defeat capability.
Other branches of the U.S. Armed Forces are undertaking projects similar to METEOR. In May of last year, the U.S. Air Force announced its Tactical High-Power Operational Responder (THOR) microwave weapon successfully eliminated a drone swarm in a field test. “THOR was exceptionally effective at disabling the swarm with its wide beam, high peak powers, and fast-moving gimbal to track and disable the targets,” THOR program manager Adrian Lucero said at the time.
