Are you curious as to how military anti drone weapons works? You've probably heard of THOR, Dronebuster, Smart Shooter, and Net drone. Each weapon serves a different purpose. These weapons allow the operator to command the drone to come home or go down.
THOR
The THOR military-grade anti-drone weapon system uses high power microwaves to fry the drone electronics. The system can knock out drone swarms at short ranges. The Air Force has committed $26 million to develop a working prototype. It is not clear when it will enter combat.
The THOR radar system looks like it is emerging from a shipping crate. It can be stored in a 20-foot shipping box and transported in a C130 transport aircraft. It can be flown to remote places where drones are threatening human safety. The system is also easier to set up than conventional surface-to air weapons and takes only three hours.
Dronebuster
The Dronebuster is a new anti-drone military weapon that is now available to U.S. Marine Corps Infantrymen. Dronebuster allows enemy drones to descend to the operator's location using a hand-held jamming tool. A Marine on a post can point the device directly at a drone to disable its communication systems.
The Dronebuster handheld anti-drone weapon is the only one authorized for US military use. The Dronebuster is a handheld device that can travel approximately 400 meters. Dronebuster is an electronic hammer that can disrupt the drone's guidance and command-and–control signals. The smart shooter system improves the accuracy of this device, which allows conventional rifles and small arms to accurately hit moving drones.
Smart Shooter
The Israeli army first used the Smart Shooter military anti-drone weapon systems in 2022 during Battle of Hebron. The system uses sponge balls instead of bullets to shoot drones. The system is compact, weighs around 165 pounds, and is about 37 inches tall. A machine gun can be attached to the system. The system was tested by the Israeli military during the Battle of Hebron in 2022. Later, the system was installed on cannons and machine guns. Israel is also reportedly planning to deploy these systems on its drones and light aircraft.
The new system uses a computerized fire control system to help troops lock on to incoming drone threats and disable them with a single, accurate shot. The Israeli company Smart Shooter announced that it has won a subcontract with the U.S. Army to supply the SMASH 2000L fire control system for soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Association of the U.S Army annual meetings announced the contract.
Net drone
Drones pose a growing threat to the battlefield. As a countermeasure, the US military has a number of weapons to keep them out of the air and out of the fight. The net drone is an example of such a weapon. These tiny, lightweight devices are 22 pounds (10kg) and can be launched using compressed air. These drones are equipped with predictive algorithms to help the operator lock on to a specific drone and then launch the net, which envelops and brings the drone to the ground safely.
Drones can be difficult to detect and target because of their small size. However, the advent of weaponized drones has changed this. These devices were both used in the 2020 conflict at Nagorno Karabah and in civil war in Libya. The Ukrainian army recently purchased EDM4S hand-held electronic warfare devices (EDM4S) in an effort to combat the growing threat from drones. These systems were purchased by the NATO Support and Supply Agency.
LMADIS
LMADIS, the military anti drone weapon system, is used to counter unmanned aerials systems. The system consists primarily of two Polaris MRZR allterrain vehicle, a command vehicle, as well a jamming vehicle. Each unit is equipped with an RPS42 tactical air surveillance radar and a small EO/IR camera. An RF detection system and a Sierra Nevada MODi RF Jammer are also included. The system is capable to identify and destroy unmanned, aerial vehicles.
Marine Corps developed LMADIS to counter the threat from small commercial drones. The USMC uses the LMADIS system as one of several counter drone weapons. Ascent Vision Technolgies (AVT), a joint venture between the USMC Ground Based Air Defense team & other industry partners, created the system. For 18 months, the system was deployed to the US Marine Corps.