Poland has begun work on a first-of-its-kind defense system for Europe: an integrated, multi-domain high-power microwave (HPM) weapon engineered to keep satellites safe in space.
Developed by ARES Shield AI, the “Sentinel Space Layer” combines artificial intelligence with radar and other advanced sensors to identify and track potential targets for the HPM weapon.
It aims to actively protect satellites in orbit from electronic threats while also keeping critical ground and air-based infrastructure safe from drone swarms.
To do this, the system’s HPM weapon is designed to cripple electronic systems inside a target, potentially neutralizing threats with minimal debris or collateral damage.
ARES Shield AI said such capabilities are increasingly necessary to keep up with modern weapons that have been adapted to penetrate through the Earth’s atmosphere.
“The conflict in Ukraine and the technological advances that have followed … clearly demonstrate how essential the continuous development of defense systems is,” ARES Shield AI Chief Executive Officer Grzegorz Zwoliński said, as quoted by MilMag.
“What just a few years ago seemed like something taken straight from science fiction movies is now a real threat not only on the traditional battlefield, but also to airports, railways, and critical infrastructure as a whole, including satellite-based Earth observation systems.”
Development Roadmap
The Polish firm announced it gathered an initial amount of 1 million Polish zloty ($270,644) from private investors, with the team now poised to begin research and development.
Within the next 18 months, the team plans to produce a prototype and conduct its first ground-based trials.
These would be followed by orbital tests and integration demos with allied partners, before finally preparing the system for low-rate production.
ARES Shield AI said Sentinel Space Layer is intended for NATO allies and other European armed forces, with plans to achieve full operational capability within five years.
