Within Friendly Drones
When Should Friendly Drones Get Out?
Microwave swarm defence can force commanders to choose between firing quickly and preserving friendly drones already in the hazard area.
On this page
- Why mixed drone airspace slows firing decisions
- How temporal deconfliction creates safer engagement windows
- When accepting friendly drone losses may still be justified
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Introduction
High-power microwave (HPM) weapons can disable multiple drones at once, but they do not neatly discriminate between hostile and friendly unmanned aircraft inside the affected volume. As a result, commanders rarely treat a microwave shot as a simple weapons-release decision. Instead, they must decide whether friendly drones should leave the engagement area first, whether there is enough time to wait, and whether the operational value of those drones outweighs the threat posed by the incoming targets. Government assessments and counter-UAS studies repeatedly note that some directed-energy systems can affect assets within a broad area rather than a single precisely selected target, making airspace coordination a central command responsibility. [GAO+2Mobility Engineering Technology]gao.govgao 23 106717Science & Tech Spotlight: Directed Energy Weapons25 May 2023 — For example, they can temporarily degrade electronics on a drone or phy…
The key question is not merely whether a hostile drone is present. It is whether the battlefield situation permits a temporary clearing of the microwave zone, or whether the threat is urgent enough that commanders accept the risk of losing friendly drones in order to protect higher-priority forces and infrastructure.
Why Mixed Drone Airspace Slows Firing Decisions
The more friendly drones a force operates, the harder microwave employment becomes. Modern formations may have reconnaissance drones, communications relays, targeting sensors, logistics aircraft, loitering munitions, and counter-drone interceptors sharing the same airspace. Commanders therefore face a governance problem as much as a technical one: they must know which aircraft are present, who controls them, and whether they can be moved in time. [Business Insider+2JAPCC]businessinsider.comThis challenge, described as haunting by Col. Sean Hoewing, stems from the increasing reliance on drones and the complexities of distingu…
Unlike a narrowly focused interceptor, an HPM system is designed to create electromagnetic effects across a larger engagement volume. The operational advantage is the ability to counter multiple threats simultaneously. The disadvantage is that friendly drones may be exposed to the same energy intended for hostile systems. Office of Naval Research+2National Defense Magazine [navy.mil]navy.milOffice of Naval Research Directed Energy Weapons: High Power Microwaves HPM weapons create beams of electromagnetic energy over a broad sOffice of Naval ResearchDirected Energy Weapons: High Power MicrowavesHPM weapons create beams of electromagnetic energy over a broad spe…
As a result, commanders typically ask several questions before authorising a shot:
- Which friendly drones are currently inside the planned engagement volume?
- Are those drones mission-critical or expendable?
- How quickly can they be moved or landed?
- Is the hostile drone threat immediate or can engagement be delayed?
- Would losing the friendly drones create a larger operational problem than the hostile swarm itself?
These questions resemble traditional fire-support coordination, where commanders must ensure friendly aircraft and ground forces are clear before employing powerful weapons. Military discussions of drone warfare increasingly describe unmanned-aircraft management as an airspace deconfliction challenge rather than merely a targeting challenge. [Business Insider]businessinsider.comThis challenge, described as haunting by Col. Sean Hoewing, stems from the increasing reliance on drones and the complexities of distingu…
How Temporal Deconfliction Creates Safer Engagement Windows
In many situations, commanders do not permanently exclude friendly drones from areas protected by microwave systems. Instead, they create temporary engagement windows during which the protected airspace is cleared.
This process is often called temporal deconfliction: separating activities by time rather than geography. Instead of moving drones to a different region permanently, operators briefly suspend or relocate friendly drone operations while a microwave engagement occurs.
A typical sequence may involve:
- Identifying an incoming hostile drone group.
- Declaring a protected microwave engagement sector.
- Ordering friendly drone operators to leave that volume.
- Confirming clearance through command-and-control networks.
- Conducting the microwave engagement.
- Returning friendly drones to their previous missions.
The approach works because many drone missions are intermittent. A reconnaissance drone can sometimes pause observation for a short period, while a relay drone may be replaced by another asset. The goal is to create a short interval in which the microwave system can operate without risking unnecessary friendly losses. [Army University Press]armyupress.army.milThis is true for both kinetic and nonkinetic active defense systems.Read more…
Increasingly, military planners think in terms of engagement areas and operational volumes rather than simple flight paths. The concept is that a drone occupies a defined three-dimensional space over a specific period of time. By managing these time-based volumes, commanders can create predictable windows in which directed-energy systems can operate safely. [Army University Press]armyupress.army.milThis is true for both kinetic and nonkinetic active defense systems.Read more…
What Determines Whether Commanders Wait or Fire Immediately?
The deciding factor is usually threat urgency.
If hostile drones are still distant, commanders may accept a delay while friendly drones clear the area. The cost of waiting is low, and preserving valuable reconnaissance or communications assets may be worthwhile.
If hostile drones are approaching a defended headquarters, ammunition site, airfield, or troop concentration, the calculation changes. The value of immediate defence may exceed the value of preserving every friendly drone in the area. Counter-drone specialists increasingly emphasise that swarm attacks compress decision timelines and reduce opportunities for lengthy coordination. Amazon Web Services, Inc.+2Defence Finance Monitor [s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com]s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.comReport CUAS Defense Sep 2025 finalAmazon Web Services, Inc.COUNTERING THE SWARMSeptember 10, 2025 — Typically, fighter aircraft and guided missile destroyers are armed wit…
Several factors influence the decision:
Mission criticality of the friendly drone. A drone providing targeting data for artillery may be more valuable than a routine surveillance platform.
Expected effectiveness of the microwave shot. If commanders believe a single engagement can neutralise many hostile drones, accepting some friendly risk may appear justified.
Threat density. Larger swarms generally increase pressure to engage quickly.
Availability of alternatives. If kinetic interceptors, electronic warfare systems, or lasers can address the threat without endangering friendly drones, commanders may choose those options instead.
Protected asset value. Defending a strategic command post or airbase can justify higher levels of risk acceptance.
The result is not a fixed rule but a balancing process in which commanders compare the value of preserving friendly unmanned systems against the consequences of allowing hostile drones to continue their attack.
When Accepting Friendly Drone Losses May Still Be Justified
There are circumstances in which commanders knowingly accept the possibility of friendly drone losses inside the microwave zone.
The clearest case is defence against an imminent swarm attack. High-power microwave systems are attractive precisely because they can engage many drones simultaneously. Demonstrations and operational reporting around systems such as Epirus’s Leonidas have highlighted their ability to affect large numbers of small drones in a single engagement. [National Defense Magazine]nationaldefensemagazine.orgcounterdrone mission seen as killer app for directed energyNational Defense MagazineCounter-UAS Mission Seen as Killer App for Directed EnergyJan 20, 2026 — High-powered microwaves can blast more…
In such scenarios, the decision may resemble traditional military risk acceptance:
- Losing several friendly drones may be preferable to allowing dozens of hostile drones to strike a defended target.
- Friendly drones may be considered replaceable, while the protected facility or force is not.
- Delay may create a greater probability of mission failure than immediate engagement.
Military organisations continue to debate how expendable friendly drones should be considered. Lessons from recent conflicts have shown that some forces treat drones almost as consumable battlefield resources, while others remain reluctant to accept high unmanned-system losses because of cost, training, logistics, and accountability concerns. Those differing philosophies directly affect microwave-zone clearance decisions. [Business Insider]businessinsider.comThis challenge, described as haunting by Col. Sean Hoewing, stems from the increasing reliance on drones and the complexities of distingu…
Why Clearance Procedures Are Ultimately a Governance Issue
The most important lesson is that microwave-zone clearance is fundamentally a command-and-control problem. The technology may disable drones, but commanders determine when it can be used safely.
Effective governance depends on accurate drone tracking, shared situational awareness, clear reporting procedures, and established authority for declaring engagement zones. Studies of counter-UAS systems repeatedly warn that poor information sharing can lead to misidentification and inappropriate counter-drone actions. Integrating airspace management, drone tracking, and counter-drone operations therefore becomes essential when friendly and hostile drones operate together. [arXiv+2Sentrycs]arxiv.orgIntegrating Counter-UAS Systems into the UTM System for Reliable Decision MakingNovember 14, 2021…
For microwave weapons, the ideal outcome is neither constant restraint nor unrestricted firing. It is the creation of predictable clearance procedures that allow commanders to open short, safe engagement windows whenever possible, while retaining the authority to accept friendly drone losses when the threat makes delay unacceptable.
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Endnotes
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Link: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-106717Source snippet
Science & Tech Spotlight: Directed Energy Weapons25 May 2023 — For example, they can temporarily degrade electronics on a drone or phy...
Published: May 2023
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This is true for both kinetic and nonkinetic active defense systems.Read more...
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Source: arxiv.org
Link: https://arxiv.org/abs/2301.12961 -
Source: arxiv.org
Link: https://arxiv.org/abs/2111.07291Source snippet
Integrating Counter-UAS Systems into the UTM System for Reliable Decision MakingNovember 14, 2021...
Published: November 14, 2021
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Mobility [Engineering]({{ 'engineering/' | relative_url }}) TechnologyHardening Unmanned Aerial Systems Against High-Power...14 May 2022 — High power microwave weapons use int...
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Link: https://www.onr.navy.mil/organization/departments/code-35/division-353/directed-energy-weapons-high-power-[microwavesSource snippet
Office of Naval ResearchDirected Energy Weapons: High Power MicrowavesHPM weapons create beams of electromagnetic energy over a broad spe...
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Source: businessinsider.com
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This challenge, described as haunting by Col. Sean Hoewing, stems from the increasing reliance on drones and the complexities of distingu...
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Title: counterdrone mission seen as killer app for directed energy
Link: https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2026/1/20/counterdrone-mission-seen-as-killer-app-for-directed-energySource snippet
National Defense MagazineCounter-UAS Mission Seen as Killer App for Directed EnergyJan 20, 2026 — High-powered microwaves can blast more...
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Title: Report CUAS Defense Sep 2025 final
Link: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/files.cnas.org/documents/Report_CUAS_Defense_Sep-2025_final.pdfSource snippet
Amazon Web Services, Inc.COUNTERING THE SWARMSeptember 10, 2025 — Typically, fighter aircraft and guided missile destroyers are armed wit...
Published: September 10, 2025
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Source: defencefinancemonitor.com
Title: non kinetic counter uas with high
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Defence Finance MonitorNon-Kinetic Counter-UAS with High Power MicrowaveDec 8, 2025 — HPM systems work by emitting powerful pulses of rad...
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Additional References
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Counter-Drone Microwave Interception StrategiesCounter-drone microwave interception strategies use bursts of powerful electromagnetic ene...
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DRDO has unveiled a new high-power microwave directed...DRDO has unveiled a new high-power microwave directed-energy weapon under develo...
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Demonstrates Microwave Weapon Defeating Fiber...2 Feb 2026 — US counter-drone specialist Epirus has publicly demonstrated that high-powe...
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