US Army receives new high-powered microwave weapon

The US Army has received a platoon of four “Leonidas” high-powered microwave weapons from the defense contractor Epirus after granting them a $66.1 million contract last year. These weapons are designed to generate a cone of electromagnetic interference to disable the electronics of drones and missiles, making them ideal for covering larger areas and engaging multiple fast-moving drones simultaneously. According to Epirus CEO Andy Lowery, Leonidas is the only effective program solution to counter large swarms of drones, as they represent the new threat of modern asymmetric wars, and countering them with missile arsenals has a cost curve that is unsustainable in the long run. Adopting these new weapons is part of a “layered defense” strategy under the Army’s Indirect Fire Protection Capability—High-Power Microwave (IFPC-HPM) program to protect U.S. troops abroad against drones. The Leonidas will be tested in the Middle East during the 2024 fiscal year, and if the testing is successful, the IFPC-HPM could become an official Pentagon program of record by 2027.