US-made Leonidas microwave weapon takes down 49 drones with a single blast

[midian182]

Why it matters: Drones have become one of the most important elements of modern warfare, which is why finding effective ways of disabling them is so important. US defense technology firm Epirus has developed a countermeasure that could interest a lot of nations: a high-powered microwave (HPM) weapon that recently demonstrated how it can down 49 drones with a single blast.

Epirus recently demonstrated a live-fire trial of Leonidas in Indiana, attended by representatives from the US Department of Defense and other US government agencies, alongside nine allied countries.

During the demo, Leonidas successfully disabled all 61 drones taking part. The headline feat was taking down a 49-drone swarm with a single shot.

Andy Lowery, Epirus' CEO, said the demo was a "watershed" moment for the company. He called Leonidas the only mission-capable, counter-swarm solution for the "one-to-many fight."

Because of how cheaply they can be procured, huge numbers of drones are being used in warfare and for reconnaissance. Leonidas' bursts of electromagnetic energy are designed to disable or destroy the electronics inside hostile drones, including swarms.

The latest second-generation of Leonidas introduces gallium nitride semiconductors. This enables a more compact, reliable, and scalable system compared to legacy microwave weapons that relied on bulkier magnetron tubes.

Leonidas' software-defined architecture allows operators to adjust waveforms on the fly, tailoring effects to different targets and minimizing risks to nearby friendly systems. The modular build also means the weapon can be deployed in multiple configurations, from vehicle-mounted platforms to fixed-site defenses.

Epirus has also developed specialized versions of the weapon, such as Leonidas Expeditionary, optimized for rapid deployment by ground forces, and Leonidas H2O, designed for maritime operations capable of disabling small boat motors.

Leonidas also offers significant tactical and economic advantages. It features an effectively unlimited magazine as long as a power source is available, dramatically reducing the cost per engagement compared to kinetic interceptors. However, like all directed-energy weapons, it faces challenges such as power demands, range limitations, and the potential for collateral disruption of nearby electronics.

The latest Leonidas weapon comes at a time when AI-powered drone swarms move closer to frontline deployment. Able to fly and fight as one coordinated force, these drones could overwhelm traditional air defenses, which is why HPM weapons are becoming increasingly important.

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US-made Leonidas microwave weapon takes down 49 drones with a single blast

 

[Thatsdisgusting]

In the demo

lol
posers

 

[Liranan]

49 of the cheapest toy helicopter drones?

 

[mbk34]

Why test these things with toy drones in America when there's a real testing ground with real drones in Ukraine?

 

[dangh]

It does have a surprising range of 2 km, which is much more than I thought it could have for an energy based weapon. Now, I wonder if we get radars able to identify small drones to use it when required.

 

[YouShallNotPass]

FYI.
Tech Ingredients from YT tested the idea 6 months ago.

 

[BuckarooBonzaii]

Let's remember that a lot of these military public showings are just that, to satisfy people's curiosity only at a minimum and not the real stuff. Who knows? Maybe they have Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) to take down aircrafts which we will never know about. I take these articles as bait.

 

[toooooot]

A bit of criticism: modern warfare is still to learn to use drone swarms.
How about, looking at war in Ukraine, this or another firm creates reliable automated system that can be spread across the country and down single drones?
Because this is how Russians kill Ukrainians and Ukrainians Russians.
A british ww2 documentary comes to mind.
That system Brits developed for early discovery of German planes needs an upgrade.
A system that watches the sky and has cheap ammo to hit cheap drones

 

[gamerk2]

A system that watches the sky and has cheap ammo to hit cheap drones

This is why the US is throwing crazy money into lasers, since blowing up a $500 drone with a $10 Million platform doesn't mathematically work.

 

[gamerk2]

It does have a surprising range of 2 km, which is much more than I thought it could have for an energy based weapon.

I wouldn't want to be standing in front of it. That being said, it doesn't take a lot to fry non-hardended electronics. Once things like this become mainstream the obvious next step is to add more EM-hard HW into the drone designs. Still, given where it looks like warfare is going, I'd rather have these then not/

Now, I wonder if we get radars able to identify small drones to use it when required.

The problem is the drones signature basically shows up as noise that's basically indistinguishable from the background. Their flight ceiling is also quite low, and falls below most radar systems. Your best bet is probably detecting/intercepting the control signals, which is why AI controlled drones are getting a serious look (not that could *ever* go wrong).

 

[WaphleStomp]

Lacks portability - there's no way I can fit that in my boot.
How am I supposed to take over the world if no one is making the tech I require with the specs I desire. !@#$%^&*()

 

[Revolution 11]

49 of the cheapest toy helicopter drones?

They probably lined up the drones in a single-line formation as well. You can never trust these demos. According to them, the ballistic missile defense system is working just fine.