In August 2018 US Army Contracting Command announced a notice of intent to sole-source its requirement for an Airborne High-Powered Microwave (HPM) Counter Unmanned Aircraft System (CUAS) along with Delivery, Development and Support (Solicitation Number: W911QX-18-R-0073) to Lockheed Martin. “The Government intends to solicit and negotiate with Lockheed Martin (CAGE Code 64059), located at 1701 W Marshall Drive, Grand Prairie, TX 75051-2704 for high-powered-microwave (HPM) based airborne counter unmanned aircraft systems (CUAS), including the necessary development, integration and support required to meet the government’s performance requirements to field UASs with payloads capable of negating adversary UAS in in a timely and efficient manner. Unmanned aircraft system payloads under consideration include explosives, nets, entanglers/streamers, and high-powered-microwave (HPM) sources.”
In November 2017 the US Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) awarded Lockheed Martin USD26.3 million for the design, development and production of a high power fibre laser. AFRL plans to test the laser on a tactical fighter jet by 2021. The contract is part of AFRL’s Self-protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator (SHiELD) program, and is a major step forward in the maturation of protective airborne laser systems. “Lockheed Martin continues to rapidly advance laser weapon systems and the technologies that make them possible,” said Dr. Rob Afzal, senior fellow of laser weapon systems at Lockheed Martin. “We have demonstrated our ability to use directed energy to counter threats from the ground, and look forward to future tests from the air as part of the SHiELD system.”
