Vigilant Eagle

The Vigilant Eagle Airport Protection System is a proposed directed-energy weapon under development by the U.S. military under a Defense Department contract with Raytheon.

[1] Man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS) are shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) that present a substantial threat to civilian and military aircraft.

The company says that its prototype high-power microwave (HPM) weapon, with an energy focused to within 1 degree, sends an electrical pulse which penetrates through openings in the missile's metal parts and reaches its computers and guidance system.

[1] The VE works by directing electromagnetic radiation; specifically, a set of high-frequency microwaves toward any projectile fired at an aircraft that is either taking off or landing.

[1] Vigilant Eagle consists of three major components: a missile detecting and tracking subsystem (MDT), a command and control system, and a scanning array.