The Drive:
lose-in defense is becoming a very hot topic in American defense circles and in those of foreign powers as well. America’s land fighting forces are rushing to address their glaring short-range air defense (SHORAD) gap, while the US Navy is coping with the reality that enemies large and small could successfully take a swipe at one of their surface combatants using everything from small boat attacks, to small drone swarms, to anti-ship missiles, and especially in tight littoral environments. Beyond the existing stalwart kinetic options, directed energy weapons have been seen as the holy grail of close-in naval defense, and it’s a space where the US Navy has spent significant development dollars in hopes of moving the technology forward. But lasers aren’t the only directed energy close-in weapon system (CIWS) solution—microwave systems may be an equally attractive and more attainable capability in the near term.
The concept isn’t too tough to comprehend—a microwave array working like a traditional CIWS system, but instead of spewing cannon shells at its target or firing of a short-range and highly agile missile at it, it emits highly directional busts of high-power microwave energy that are capable of disrupting and even destroying electronics inside the offending enemy weapon system. In other words, it would leave boasts dead in the water and anything in the air—like helicopters, planes, missiles, and especially small drones—careening into Davy Jones’ locker or at least malfunctioning to the point that they aren’t a threat to the ship itself.
