Talk about real-life Call of Duty…
It seems like the U.S Army is still doing everything in its power to accelerate its military efficiency and be ready to strike back in case of a conflict with enemy countries. Recently, they announced the release of their new hypersonic weapon, the Dark Eagle which is capable of striking deep into the Chinese land, and now reports of a new weapon called the DE M-SHORAD are circulating around.
The DE M-SHORAD which stands for Directed Energy Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense system is not only good for taking down enemy drones but can also destroy incoming artillery shells. No wonder the U.S Army wants it to enter service as early as 2022 and has been conducting experiments with the DE M-SHORAD at Fort Bliss, Texas which is the headquarters of the service’s defense artillery in the state.
The new four laser system mounted on an armored vehicle shoots out a 50-kilowatt beam of focused laser light at a drone, heating its surface. This can result in aerodynamic or engine failure, blinding of the drone’s sensors, and even detonate the aircraft’s explosive payload. Drones have been a serious threat for the U.S Army and have been rapidly growing in the past few years. Since they’re fast and capable of attacking in a flash of a second, eliminating them has been a challenge for the army.
Keeping that in mind, the DE M-SHORAD has been developed to assist the army with the state’s defense. “This is the first combat application of lasers for a maneuver element in the Army. The technology we have today is ready. This is the gateway to the future,” said LTG L. Neil Thurgood, Director for Hypersonics, Directed Energy, Space, and Rapid Acquisition for the service. For now, there are four DE M-SHORAD vehicles ready to be dispatched but if this anti-drone system proves to be efficient, the Army will probably buy more in the future.