The US Army has received a powerful microwave “gun” to combat swarms of UAVs
The widespread use of UAVs and cheap commercial drones for military tasks in the Russian-Ukrainian war has prompted the US Army to pay more attention to anti-drone capabilities. The private company Epirus has provided the military with the Leonidas system, which can shoot down UAVs in a “non-kinetic way.”
The Leonidas system is described as a “high-powered microwave” weapon that has been specifically designed to protect soldiers and targets from “drone swarms.” Once aimed at an object, the system emits intense and precise beams that can “set fire” to its internal electronics and components, thereby rendering it useless and possibly causing it to spin out of control.
As part of the US Army’s $66.1 million IFPC-HPM (Indirect Fire Protection Capability-High-Power Microwave) project, Epirus is to supply the military with 4 prototypes of the Leonidas system over 3 years. It is part of a broader initiative by the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Directorate to create a layered air defense that protects forward bases, troops and formations.
The IFPC-HPM system includes a powerful microwave source, power and thermal subsystems, as well as an antenna subsystem compatible with combat management, control and communications software.
The manufacturer plans to hand over the second system by the end of December, and “a full platoon of four IFPC-HPMs (will be ready) early next year.”
“The IFPC-HPM platoon will be tested by the Army for capabilities and limitations to develop tactics, techniques and procedures for how these capabilities will be used in theater as part of a layered defense for the UAV countermeasures mission,” said an Epirus spokesperson.
