Raytheon, an RTX company, has secured a three-year, $31.3 million contract from the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division to design, build and test two directed energy weapon prototype systems for the U.S. Navy and Air Force.

The company said Tuesday it will deliver high-power microwave antenna systems that will use directed energy to enable the detection of airborne threats as part of the Directed Energy Front-line Electromagnetic Neutralization and Defeat program.

“The new iterations of Raytheon’s high-power microwave systems are cost-effective and reliable solutions that operate at the speed of light – enabling our warfighters to defend against faster and more maneuverable threats,” said Colin Whelan, president of advanced technology at Raytheon.

NSWCDD expects the prototypes to be delivered in fiscal years 2024 and 2026.

Raytheon will partner with the Air Force Research Laboratory, NSWCDD and the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering to build and test the prototype systems at its Tucson, Arizona, facility.