RTX's CHIMERA high-power microwave system excels during three-week field test

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Jan 29, 2024, 09:00 ET

U.S. Air Force's transportable, standalone HPM system will play key role in layered defense

WHITE SANDS, N.M., Jan. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Air Force Research Laboratory and Raytheon, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, have successfully completed a three-week field test of the CHIMERA high-power microwave (HPM) weapon at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. During the test, CHIMERA applied directed energy to multiple static target variations and demonstrated end-to-end fire control by acquiring and tracking aerial targets and maintaining tracking for the entire flight path.

CHIMERA successfully completed a three-week field test in New Mexico, showcasing the system’s ability to defeat airborne threats at the speed of light. (Photo courtesy of AFRL)

The Counter-Electronic High-Power Microwave Extended-Range Air Base Defense system, known as CHIMERA, was built to fire highly concentrated radio energy at multiple middle-to-long-range targets. The ground-based demonstration system wields more power than other HPM systems to defeat airborne threats at the speed of light.

"High-power microwave systems are cost-effective and reliable solutions that play an important role in layered defense by increasing magazine depth and giving warfighters more options to defeat adversaries quickly," said Colin Whelan, president of Advanced Technology at Raytheon. "The successful test of CHIMERA is a testament to the strong partnership between Raytheon and the AFRL, and our commitment to developing non-kinetic solutions that can counter increasingly sophisticated threats."

CHIMERA is part of the Directed Energy Front-line Electromagnetic Neutralization and Defeat (DEFEND) program, which is a joint service effort to design, build and test HPM systems for front-line deployment. Raytheon is partnering with experts at the AFRL, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division and the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering to complete this work.

"This is what the power of government and industry partners can achieve: critical technology that can be inserted in an integrated mission architecture alongside other directed energy tech and kinetics. It is imperative that AFRL, in partnership with industry and academia, continue to innovate and feed these architectures now and in the future," said Dr. Shery Welsh, director, Directed Energy Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory.

About Raytheon
Raytheon, an RTX business, is a leading provider of offensive and defense solutions to help the U.S. government, our allies and partners defend their national sovereignty and ensure their security. For more than 100 years, Raytheon has developed new technologies and enhanced existing capabilities in integrated air and missile defense, smart weapons, missiles, advanced sensors and radars, offensive and defensive cybersecurity tools, interceptors, space-based systems, hypersonics and missile defense across land, air, sea and space.

About RTX
RTX is the world's largest aerospace and defense company. With more than 185,000 global employees, we push the limits of technology and science to redefine how we connect and protect our world. Through industry-leading businesses – Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon – we are advancing aviation, engineering integrated defense systems for operational success, and developing next-generation technology solutions and manufacturing to help global customers address their most critical challenges. The company, with 2023 sales of $68.9 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.

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