Boeing announced last month that the Air Force has chosen it to develop and test a missile that carries a nonlethal, high-power microwave payload that could neutralize specific types of targets from overhead without causing collateral damage. This work is happening under the auspices of the Office of the Secretary of Defense-sponsored joint capability technology demonstration called counter-electronics high-power microwave advanced missile project (CHAMP), for which the Air Force Research Lab last fall asked for industry proposals. The company said it received a $38 million contract from AFRL on April 27 for CHAMP. “Integrating AFRL’s compact microwave technology with Boeing’s proven air vehicle design and manufacturing expertise could lead the way to a new breed of nonlethal but highly effective systems,” said Keith Coleman, Boeing’s CHAMP program manager. He called HPM “truly a game-changing technology.” The three-year program includes ground and flight demonstrations. “The total number of flight tests will depend on the results obtained from the first flight test,” AFRL’s directed energy directorate told the Daily Report in response to a query. The AFRL and Boeing are otherwise staying mum on much of the project’s details.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III conducted virtual talks on April 16 with his Chinese counterpart, Adm. Dong Jun, Beijing's Minister of Defense, marking the first direct talk between defense chiefs of the two nations in close to two years.