The Phaser can fry any devices which has electronics, with its modulated EMP. Currently undergoing testing, the weapon system could play a significant role in today’s theatre of modern warfare.

Although the U.S. military has clearly enjoyed dominance in the air, the emergence of ISIS drones has presented itself as a new threat to American ground troops.

So as to combat swarms of such cheap yet significant dangers to its crack troops, the U.S. Army has begun testing a new anti-air device which is designed to keep the skies free of UAVs: it has been designed to shoot down multiple UAVs in a single shot. The U.S. Army calls this new weapon a Phaser.

Unlike the turret styled one in Star Trek, this one, built by Raytheon, is a microwave-emitting dish cradled on of a shipping container, which houses its diesel generator power source.

It relies on an external radar system to track its targets. Once identified, it fires a burst of radiation powerful enough to fry control systems of a swarm of drones from the sky.

Functionally similar to radio-based anti-UAV systems like the rifle-styled DroneDefender, the Phaser throws a broad swathe of energy wide enough to catch multiple targets in just one shot.

The Phaser isn’t meant for just UAVs, it can bring down any weapon system which depends on electronics. In the battlefield, this will include, cars, portable computing devices, targeting systems, etc.

You will be right to think of it as an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) producer. Take a look at this video.

The Phaser can modulate the intensity of the blast and can thus choose to either damage or disrupt any machine’s electrical and electronic innards.

The testing for the Phaser began in 2013 and the weapon system has only recently been declassified.

Obviously, statistics, including, range, blast power, etc are not disclosed. Like most weapon systems, which are in the test phase, it is unclear if and when they will be deployed.