- Epirus, a Los Angeles defense company, has created the Leonidas microwave weapon to disable drone swarms without projectiles.
- Leonidas uses a wide-area microwave beam to disrupt drone electronics instantly and is aimed at countering mass drone attacks.
- The Pentagon is interested in deploying Leonidas for defense against coordinated drone threats.
- Leonidas can target multiple drones at once and uses Artificial Intelligence to enhance target tracking and power use.
- The system has secured a $17 million U.S. Army contract and a $250 million funding round to accelerate production.
Epirus, based in Los Angeles, has developed Leonidas, a microwave-based weapon designed to knock out groups of drones by disrupting their electronics, according to company statements. The system uses a wide microwave beam to disable drones in mid-air, providing a response to the increasing threat of drone swarms on battlefields.
Since its release in 2020, Leonidas has expanded to a family of systems aimed at military and security uses. In October 2024, the U.S. Army awarded Epirus a $17 million contract. Five months later, the company announced a $250 million Series D funding round to ramp up production of the Leonidas system.
Unlike traditional laser-based anti-drone weapons, Leonidas does not require precision targeting or detailed knowledge of a drone’s weak spots. “With lasers, you need detailed knowledge of the target to find its vulnerable spots…The beam for that is typically larger than the target, so you don’t have to worry about the selectivity, and the effects are different,” Epirus Chief Technology Officer Dr. Matt Markel told Decrypt. Markel said the technology can impact multiple fast-moving targets at once, making it suitable for defending against attacks where high numbers of drones overwhelm traditional defenses.
In June, Ukraine used commercial drone swarms to attack targets in Russia, an example that Markel cited as the kind of threat Leonidas is built to combat. “You don’t need a thousand—just 10 or 20 drones can overwhelm defenses. That’s what our system is built to handle. It’s designed to counter more than one threat at a time,” he explained.
The Leonidas system includes artificial intelligence to manage power use, control sensors, and select optimal targets. To observers, the demonstration resembles a protective force field, according to Markel. The company has not made public details such as range but confirmed that Leonidas has taken part in joint military exercises with U.S. allies, as reported in an official Army release.
Outside the military, Leonidas could have uses for law enforcement, such as stopping unauthorized drones near government buildings, according to company officials. For more on the technology, visit the Epirus website.
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