On 15 May Kratos Defense & Security Solutions announced that its Defense & Rocket Support Services division has been awarded a contract valued at $2.2 million ($4.9 million with options - €1.96-4.37 million) to develop a Tethered High power microwave Recorder and Electronic Attack Target (THREAT) system for the US Army. It will be used to evaluate high power microwave (HPM) system capabilities necessary to defeat small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS). The contract was awarded by the Test Resource Management Center (TRMC) Test & Evaluation (T&E) Science & Technology (S&T) and the US Army Program Executive Officer for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI).

Electrically-driven sUAS are an emerging battlefield threat, capable of carrying surveillance, communication and weapons payloads. They are hard to detect visually and their low radar cross-section make them difficult to locate with instrumentation. Consequently, sUAS are challenging to defeat using kinetic warheads or laser-based systems. To improve counter-sUAS capabilities, the Department of Defense (DoD) is evaluating electronic jamming and HPM systems. The Kratos THREAT system will be HPM hardened and used to monitor and record test environment emissions data.

“This recent contract award is an important milestone in advancing our commitment to provide advanced technology hardware and services. This work aligns well with our strategic plan to expand our efforts related to directed energy technologies. We are very pleased that the TRMC T&E S&T program and the US Army PEO-STRI are allowing us to serve them in this capacity,” commented Kratos Defense & Rocket Support Services President, Dave Carter.



