U.S. Army awards ThinKom $49M deal for microwave drone weapon

The U.S. Army has awarded ThinKom Solutions an Other Transaction Agreement worth up to $49 million to deliver and test a mobile high-power microwave weapon designed to counter drones.

The agreement was issued by the Army’s Program Manager for Advanced Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System Effects, part of Portfolio Acquisition Executive Fires. Initial funding covers one of four prototypes the Army has requested, along with field testing planned for 2027.

Under the deal, ThinKom will supply its Alecto high-power microwave effector integrated with government-designated sensors, fire-control systems and a mobile platform. The prototype is intended to help the Army evaluate non-kinetic, directed energy options against unmanned aircraft.

“The rapid proliferation of unmanned aircraft systems is creating an urgent need for mobile and scalable counter-UAS capabilities,” said Dan Roman, ThinKom’s vice president for electronic warfare and high-power microwave programs. “Alecto, enabled by our patented VICTS antenna, is designed to give soldiers a high-capacity and low-cost per-engagement option that can fire while moving and protect against Group 1 and Group 2 drone threats. We are proud to support the Army’s rapid-prototyping efforts and its work to deliver effective capabilities to soldiers.”

Alecto is built around ThinKom’s VICTS antenna technology, according to the company. The Army has designated the system’s targets as Group 1 and Group 2 drones, the smaller classes of unmanned aircraft typically flown at low altitude.

The prototype will go through government-led integration, testing and evaluation, with results feeding into future Army decisions on the capability. The agreement does not include a production decision or a commitment to buy any specific number of systems.

PM ACE is headquartered at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, and oversees an integrated portfolio of offensive, defensive and integrated fires capabilities for Army transformation efforts. ThinKom is based in Hawthorne, California, and manufactures phased-array antenna systems for commercial, government and defense customers.