Almasirah:Navigating New Threats: The U.S. Navy's Struggle Against Yemen’s Drones

Navigating New Threats: The U.S. Navy's Struggle Against Yemen’s Drones

Yemen: The U.S. Navy faces an unprecedented challenge in its battle with the Yemeni military in the Red and Arabian Seas. Yemeni-made drones are repeatedly targeting U.S. forces, prompting the search for technology to neutralize these aerial threats.

As the task becomes increasingly difficult, the United States is investing hundreds of millions of dollars to develop technologies to combat this evolving threat, recognizing drones as a genuine menace to naval forces and presenting unique challenges for maritime defense.

These drones utilize modern technology for unconventional flight patterns and highly precise combat missions, making them hard to detect and neutralize. Consequently, the United States is striving to develop technologies to counter this threat effectively. Reports indicate that the U.S. Navy is working diligently on advanced defense systems to efficiently neutralize drones. As challenges in the Red Sea intensify, a technological race between military forces and defense systems emerges, with the United States at the forefront, aiming to use all possible technological means to maintain its military superiority and ensure the safety of its forces in international waters.

Despite the difficulty of the mission, advanced technology development remains the optimal solution for neutralizing this threat. The United States is working seriously toward this goal but faces severe challenges ranging from technical, financial, to legal aspects. Technically, developing effective drone neutralization technology requires considering many complex factors. This technology must be remotely controllable, possess advanced sensors, and be able to accurately identify targets. Financially, the development and deployment of these technologies demand enormous financial resources, placing the U.S. government in a strategic position to allocate investments thoughtfully.

Beyond technical and financial challenges, there are legal and ethical issues, as the use of technology in modern warfare raises concerns about privacy and cybersecurity, making effective development and use of this technology even more challenging. Additionally, the U.S.'s failure to achieve significant progress in developing energy-directed systems, despite ongoing announcements of potential successes, is worrying. Massive investments have been made in these technologies with promises of considerable advancements in protecting the navy from emerging drone threats.

This failure highlights complex technical challenges, as developing systems capable of effectively targeting and destroying drones requires advanced technology and vast resources. Moreover, rapidly evolving threats, such as changing attacker tactics and advancing drone technology, make it difficult for leading technology nations to maintain their edge and continue facing these challenges. Over the past decade and a half, the United States began seriously considering means to combat drone attacks by gradually shifting toward developing energy-directed weapons to counter future threats.

In 2011, BBC Arabic showcased a video revealing a laser weapon designed to shoot down aircraft, showing a drone burning in mid-air, indicating that the American company Raytheon had unveiled an anti-aircraft laser weapon at the Farnborough Airshow in Hampshire, UK. In 2014, the U.S. Navy released images of a new laser weapon capable of downing drones and disabling ships. The video showed a laser mounted on a ship successfully shooting down a drone.

By 2018, CNN aired footage of the first operational laser weapon on a U.S. warship, highlighting its ability to attack waterborne objects and airborne drones silently and invisibly due to the laser's speed of light. This laser weapon was supposed to be the next step in defensive technology.

Challenges and Developments

Despite these advancements, questions remain as to why such laser weapons have not been utilized in combat against Yemeni forces in the Red Sea instead of using expensive anti-aircraft missiles. In May of this year, the UK announced a new weapon called the "Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon" (RFDEW), which uses radio waves to disable drones and other electronic threats. This technology can disrupt drone swarms by interfering with their electronic components, making them cease operation or fall from the sky. The RFDEW system, costing around 10 pence per shot, presents a cost-effective alternative to traditional missile-based defense systems.

However, the weapon has limitations, including a current range of one kilometer, electromagnetic interference issues, and the need for powerful, portable energy sources. The ongoing development and integration phase also means it is not yet ready for full operational deployment.

Early Beginnings

The development of directed energy weapons using radio frequencies and lasers has been part of military enhancement efforts since the mid-20th century. The first successful laser device was operated in 1960, and military applications were researched through the 1970s and 1980s. The 1990s and early 2000s saw continued efforts to improve efficiency and integrate these systems with traditional defense mechanisms. In recent years, substantial investments from countries like the U.S., Russia, and China have focused on perfecting laser weapons and electromagnetic systems for air defense and electronic warfare.

Effectiveness and Concerns

While these weapons offer high accuracy and quick response, environmental factors such as dust, smoke, and fog can affect their efficiency. The significant energy requirements and high development costs also pose challenges. Additionally, Israel's "Iron Beam" laser system, despite its promise, has faced criticism for its operational effectiveness and technical difficulties in maintaining beam stability on fast-moving targets. This further underscores the complexities in developing reliable laser defense systems.

Propaganda and Reality

There is skepticism about the actual effectiveness of laser weapons, with some suggesting that media announcements serve more as propaganda to bolster the image of military prowess rather than reflecting operational reality. The limited public data on these weapons' performance in combat conditions and their current experimental status add to these doubts.

Despite the promise of laser and radio frequency directed energy weapons in air defense and drone combat, substantial technical, logistical, and operational challenges remain. The U.S. continues to search for viable solutions to the significant threats posed by drones, focusing on innovation and strategic investment to protect its interests and maintain military superiority in volatile regions like the Red and Arabian Seas.

The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is an organization within the U.S. Department of Defense that accelerates the adoption of advanced commercial technology to meet military needs. Founded in 2015, DIU aims to enhance innovation and expedite the adoption of new technology in defense through collaboration with startups and advanced technology companies.

On June 14, DIU stated on its website that the Navy is looking for a system that can be easily integrated with various platforms to defend against hostile drone attacks. The program, named Counter NEXT, aims to quickly test prototypes and deploy them on ships worldwide. DIU said, "The solutions are expected to be rapidly deployable globally, integrated with a variety of naval platforms, and capable of easily integrating with existing shipboard sensors."

Matthew Way, leading this effort, emphasized that countering drones is a top priority for DIU, noting that the organization plans to allocate part of the $800 million budget increase from Congress for the fiscal year 2024 to fund efforts like Counter Next. "We really need to focus on how to get those more advanced capabilities," he said.

Project Counter NEXT: Advanced Anti-Drone System

The U.S. Navy, in collaboration with DIU, is actively working on developing a prototype for an advanced Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) countermeasure. This project, known as Counter NEXT, aims to enhance the Navy's defensive capabilities against drone attacks by creating a system that can disrupt or destroy these drones. The Navy seeks to integrate the new system with various naval platforms to ensure ease of use and rapid deployment.

According to DIU, "Counter Next focuses on kinetic systems that cost less than traditional missiles and rely on mature technology that can be ready for testing within 90 days of contract award. While not required, DIU may prioritize proposals that demonstrate the ability to neutralize surface ship threats as well. Companies must also be able to deliver at least five systems within 12 months of selection."

Has the U.S. Abandoned Directed Energy Weapons?

The U.S. views kinetic systems as a practical and field-ready solution for Project Counter NEXT to combat drone threats, possibly due to significant technical challenges that reduce the effectiveness of directed energy weapons. The shift towards kinetic systems appears to be driven by several factors:

1. Technological Maturity and Readiness: These systems are technologically mature and highly ready, allowing for rapid testing and field deployment, typically within 90 days.

2. Cost-Effectiveness: The lower cost of these systems compared to directed energy weapons makes them a cost-effective choice.

3. Integration and Flexibility: Kinetic systems can be easily integrated with existing shipboard systems and effectively work with current sensors, facilitating tracking and neutralizing threats.

Conversely, directed energy weapons face substantial technical challenges, such as developing high-energy laser systems that can reliably operate in harsh and variable maritime environments. These weapons also require significant logistical infrastructure and support, making them more challenging to implement compared to kinetic systems. These combined factors explain why the U.S. currently prefers kinetic systems for Project Counter NEXT, while continuing to develop directed energy weapons for future advancements.

Challenges of the Counter NEXT System

Reports from military manufacturing researchers highlight that while kinetic systems may be less expensive than some alternatives, the ongoing costs of updating and maintaining these systems can be high over the long term, particularly as drone threats evolve. Additionally, the system may face challenges operating reliably in the harsh and variable conditions at sea, which could affect its effectiveness in some scenarios. Kinetic systems also require substantial logistical infrastructure and support to maintain their operational capabilities.

Furthermore, as drone technology continues to advance, keeping pace with all the latest developments may become increasingly difficult for the Counter NEXT system, necessitating continuous updates and rapid adaptation to changing threats. Despite being designed for easy integration with current naval systems, there may be technical hurdles, especially if existing systems are outdated or not fully compatible. Complex attacks, such as swarm tactics or those using electronic jamming, may demand higher levels of defense complexity, posing additional challenges for the system.

Can Drones be Developed to Evade Directed Energy Weapons and Kinetic Systems?

Developing drones to evade directed energy weapons and kinetic systems like Project Counter NEXT requires advanced technologies and complex strategies. Here’s how this can be achieved:

1. Camouflage and Concealment: Drones can be developed to be less detectable by sensors used by directed energy weapons and kinetic systems. This can include using materials that absorb electromagnetic waves or designing drones in shapes that reduce their radar and thermal signatures.

2. Electronic Jamming Systems: Drones can be equipped with jamming systems to disrupt or confuse the sensors and guidance systems of directed energy weapons and kinetic systems. These systems might emit intense electromagnetic signals to interfere with communications and sensors on warships.

3. Rapid Movement and Advanced Tactics: Improving drones' ability to maneuver quickly and change course unpredictably can make them harder to target with directed energy weapons or traditional kinetic systems. Utilizing swarm attack tactics, where a large group of drones attacks simultaneously, can overwhelm enemy defenses and increase the likelihood of reaching the target.

4. Enhanced Autonomy: Enhancing artificial intelligence and autonomous control systems in drones can make them more capable of making immediate decisions and avoiding attacks. These systems can quickly identify threats and alter their course autonomously to evade directed energy weapons and kinetic systems.

Developing such technologies requires significant resources and collaboration across various fields such as engineering, electronics, and artificial intelligence, reflecting the challenges faced by defense industries in addressing evolving threats.

What is the Best Technology to Defeat Drones?

Drones have become an increasingly significant threat in modern warfare, effectively achieving strategic objectives due to their small size and low cost. Consequently, the technologies and research developed by weapons manufacturers to defeat these drones have evolved significantly. Despite numerous systems announced, particularly in directed energy weapons, no successful and guaranteed breakthrough has yet been achieved.

In a report by military technology researcher Julian Neitfeld, published on Battle Space, it is confirmed that in many operational scenarios, defeating drones can be exaggerated. Faced with these challenges, militaries worldwide spend billions on anti-drone aerial systems technology and acquisition. The urgency to procure such technology has accelerated acquisition processes, particularly in the U.S., which spends nearly $1 billion annually on directed energy weapons, including high-energy lasers and high-power microwave devices, according to American researcher Neitfeld.

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