| Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Contract Award | The United States Army has awarded Raytheon, an RTX business, a contract to work on directed energy wireless power beaming capabilities. |
| Objective | The contract aims to build capabilities that will distribute power across the battlefield, simplify logistics, and safeguard locations for US troops. |
| Benefits | This contract is designed to develop capabilities which will simplify logistics and ensure that US soldiers are protected in their locations. |
| Logistics Simplification | This move was made to simplify logistics for US soldiers by eliminating the need to transport fuel and batteries from one battlefield area into another. |
| Technology Description | Once developed, the directed energy wireless system would beam power directly to units and systems in need of it. |
| Operational Need | Modernization has led to a need for more power across the board, especially as drones and unmanned systems become increasingly important. |
| Battlefield Challenges | Batteries that run out of juice on the battlefield, where charging isn't an option, can slow the progression of an individual, and as a consequence, of the entire formation. |
| Strategic Importance | Directed energy wireless power beaming can change the game in the end. |
| Project Context | As part of the Department of Defense’s Operational Energy Strategy, the work is underway to develop a directed energy wireless beaming power capability. |
| Development Team | Raytheon’s Advanced Technology Team will be developing advanced wireless transmitter and receiver technology to allow a demonstration at a distance in accordance with requirements for the US Army’s unmanned and manned systems. |
| Expert Quote | Colin Whelan, president of Advanced Technology at Raytheon, said, "Wireless data and power can enhance capability in future unmanned and manned battlespaces," |
| Previous Work | The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded Raytheon a contract last year to develop and design a wireless airborne relay to transmit energy in hostile environments. |
Revolutionizing the Battlefield: The Future of Wireless Power in Military Operations