Within Leonidas
The Risk Inside a Wide Microwave Beam
High-power microwave systems can affect electronics across an area, making safety, control and deconfliction central to their real value.
On this page
- Why area effects are useful against swarms
- How friendly systems can become part of the risk zone
- What commanders need from controls and rules of use
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Introduction
Leonidas is marketed as a solution to one of modern air defence’s hardest problems: defeating many drones at once. Its high-power microwave (HPM) approach is attractive precisely because it can affect multiple electronic targets within a volume of space rather than engaging each drone individually. Yet that same strength creates one of the central operational questions surrounding the system: how to disable hostile electronics without creating unacceptable risks for friendly electronics operating nearby. The challenge is not unique to Leonidas, but it is especially important for microwave-based counter-swarm systems because they rely on electromagnetic effects that can extend across an area rather than being confined to a single physical point of impact. [GAO]gao.govgao 23 106717Science & Tech Spotlight: Directed Energy Weapons25 May 2023 — High power microwave weapons produce microwaves, which have longer wave…
For military users, the issue is not whether Leonidas can affect electronics—that is the intended effect. The question is how reliably operators can control where those effects occur, which friendly systems might be exposed, and what procedures are needed to avoid disrupting their own forces while defeating a drone threat. [Epirus]epirusinc.comEpirusEpirus Leonidas High-Power Microwave: Directed Energy…Leonidas is a solid-state, high-power HPM system, utilizing Gallium Nitrid…
The Risk Inside a Wide Microwave Beam
High-power microwave weapons work by directing electromagnetic energy into electronic systems. Unlike a laser, which generally concentrates energy on a specific spot, an HPM system can influence a broader area and potentially affect multiple targets during a single engagement. The US Government Accountability Office notes that wider-beam directed-energy systems, including high-power microwave weapons, can affect assets throughout an area rather than only a single designated target. [GAO]gao.govgao 23 106717Science & Tech Spotlight: Directed Energy Weapons25 May 2023 — High power microwave weapons produce microwaves, which have longer wave…
This characteristic is what makes Leonidas valuable against drone swarms. A swarm presents a “one-to-many” problem, and a microwave beam offers a “one-to-many” response. Epirus has repeatedly highlighted the system’s ability to generate counter-electronics effects against multiple unmanned systems simultaneously. Demonstrations have shown the platform defeating large groups of drones in a single engagement. [Epirus+2Epirus]epirusinc.comEpirusEpirus Leonidas High-Power Microwave: Directed Energy…Leonidas is a solid-state, high-power HPM system, utilizing Gallium Nitrid…
The trade-off is straightforward: the larger the area in which electronic effects are desired, the more important it becomes to understand what else occupies that area. Friendly radios, sensors, communications links, vehicle electronics, autonomous systems and even other defensive systems may all exist within the same battlespace.
How Friendly Systems Can Become Part of the Risk Zone
The most obvious risk is unintended coupling of microwave energy into friendly equipment. HPM systems are designed to interact with electronics, and modern military operations depend on dense networks of electronics. A defended site may simultaneously host air-defence radars, communications gear, command-and-control networks, surveillance sensors, electronic warfare systems and friendly drones.
If a microwave engagement area overlaps with those assets, several outcomes are theoretically possible:
- Temporary disruption of electronic functions.
- Degradation of communications or sensor performance.
- Unexpected behaviour in autonomous or remotely controlled systems.
- Physical damage to insufficiently protected electronics in severe cases.
- Operational confusion caused by uncertainty over whether a malfunction resulted from enemy action or friendly defensive activity. [Office of Naval Research+2GAO]onr.navy.milOffice of Naval ResearchDirected Energy Weapons: High Power MicrowavesHPM weapons create beams of electromagnetic energy over a broad spe…
The concern grows as militaries become more reliant on unmanned systems. A formation attempting to defend itself from hostile drones may also be operating friendly drones for reconnaissance, targeting or logistics. In that environment, the distinction between a protected asset and a potentially exposed electronic asset becomes increasingly blurred.
Friendly drones present a special challenge
Counter-drone systems traditionally focus on identifying hostile aircraft and engaging them. High-power microwave systems introduce a more complex deconfliction problem because friendly drones may occupy the same airspace.
Public descriptions of Leonidas emphasise software-defined control and discrimination capabilities intended to help operators manage engagements in crowded electromagnetic environments. Industry reporting has also highlighted claims that the system’s waveforms can be adapted to specific operational conditions rather than relying on a single fixed effect. [Journal of Electromagnetic Dominance]jedonline.comJournal of Electromagnetic DominanceHigh-Power Microwave Systems – Getting (Much…January 24, 2023 — 24 Jan 2023 — This means Leonidas…
However, discrimination does not eliminate the underlying requirement for careful airspace management. Even if a system can better distinguish targets, commanders must still determine whether friendly unmanned aircraft are operating inside the potential effects zone before firing.
Why Area Effects Are Useful Against Swarms
The friendly-electronics problem exists because the operational advantage is real.
Drone swarms are designed to saturate defences. Traditional interceptors often engage threats individually, creating cost and magazine-depth problems. Microwave systems offer a fundamentally different geometry. Instead of tracking and destroying each target separately, they attempt to create an electromagnetic environment in which many targets become ineffective at once. [GAO+2DroneShield]gao.govgao 23 106717Science & Tech Spotlight: Directed Energy Weapons25 May 2023 — High power microwave weapons produce microwaves, which have longer wave…
Recent Leonidas demonstrations have reinforced this appeal. Epirus reported defeating dozens of drones during a single live-fire event, including a large swarm engagement. Such results help explain military interest in HPM technologies as a complement to missiles, guns and electronic warfare systems. [Epirus]epirusinc.comEpirusEpirus' Leonidas High-Power Microwave Defeats 49-Drone Swarm…Leonidas neutralized 61-of-61 drones, culminating in a 49-drone swa…
Yet the very feature that makes these systems efficient against swarms also means commanders must think beyond the target list. The operational question becomes not simply “Can it stop the drones?” but also “What else is inside the engagement volume?”
What Commanders Need From Controls and Rules of Use
The practical value of Leonidas depends heavily on control mechanisms rather than microwave power alone.
The Government Accountability Office has highlighted that wider-beam directed-energy systems require careful consideration because effects may extend across an area. For operators, this translates into a need for robust doctrine, training and engagement procedures. [GAO]gao.govgao 23 106717Science & Tech Spotlight: Directed Energy Weapons25 May 2023 — High power microwave weapons produce microwaves, which have longer wave…
Several control requirements become especially important:
Electronic battlespace awareness. Operators need accurate knowledge of friendly emitters, sensors and unmanned systems before employing area-effect microwave weapons.
Defined exclusion zones. Friendly aircraft, drones and critical communications systems may require protected areas where HPM engagements are restricted.
Electromagnetic compatibility planning. Equipment expected to operate near HPM systems must be assessed for resilience and compatibility, reducing the chance of unexpected interference.
Layered defence integration. Leonidas is most useful when treated as one component of a broader defence architecture. Narrower-effect systems can handle engagements where friendly assets are too close to the threat, while HPM systems can address dense swarm attacks in more permissive conditions.
Operator discretion. The ability to adjust effects, engagement geometry and targeting logic is often as important as raw power output. Epirus itself emphasises operator control and software-defined operation as key features of the Leonidas family. [Epirus]epirusinc.comEpirusEpirus Leonidas High-Power Microwave: Directed Energy…Leonidas is a solid-state, high-power HPM system, utilizing Gallium Nitrid…
The Real Measure of Success
Public discussion of Leonidas often focuses on dramatic swarm-kill demonstrations, but the more revealing question may be whether it can be used repeatedly in a crowded battlespace without disrupting the friendly systems it is meant to protect.
For high-power microwave weapons, effectiveness is not simply measured by the number of drones disabled. It is measured by whether commanders can create useful electronic effects against hostile systems while preserving freedom of action for their own forces. The challenge is therefore not just generating a powerful microwave beam, but shaping, controlling and integrating that beam into an environment increasingly filled with friendly electronics. In that sense, the risk to nearby electronics is not a side issue around Leonidas—it is one of the central factors determining its operational value. [GAO+2Office of Naval Research]gao.govgao 23 106717Science & Tech Spotlight: Directed Energy Weapons25 May 2023 — High power microwave weapons produce microwaves, which have longer wave…
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Endnotes
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Source: gao.gov
Title: gao 23 106717
Link: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-106717Source snippet
Science & Tech Spotlight: Directed Energy Weapons25 May 2023 — High power microwave weapons produce [microwaves]({{ 'microwaves/' | relative_url }}), which have longer wave...
Published: May 2023
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Source: droneshield.com
Link: https://www.droneshield.com/blog/a-counter-to-drone-swarms-high-power-microwave-weaponsSource snippet
A Counter to Drone Swarms: High-Power Microwave...Military forces must prioritise a counter to drone swarming tactics with which inexpen...
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Source: directed.com
Title: DIRECTE D
Link: https://www.directed.com/Source snippet
Car Alarms | Remote Starters | SMARTSTART...DIRECTED is the largest designer and marketer of consumer-branded car alarms and...
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Source: gao.gov
Link: https://www.gao.gov/video/directed-energy-weapons-dod-should-focus-transition-planningSource snippet
Directed Energy Weapons DOD Should Focus on Transition...DOD spends about $1 billion annually on directed energy--concentrated electroma...
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Source: gao.gov
Link: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-105868Source snippet
purposes such as engaging missile or [drone swarm]({{ 'swarm-limits/' | relative_url }})...
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Source: youtube.com
Title: Epirus Leonidas HPM: The Premier Counter-Drone Swarm Solution
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAmSDdK57o0 -
Source: onr.navy.mil
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: epirusinc.com
Link: https://www.epirusinc.com/electronic-warfareSource snippet
EpirusEpirus Leonidas High-Power Microwave: Directed Energy...Leonidas is a solid-state, high-power HPM system, utilizing Gallium Nitrid...
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Source: epirusinc.com
Link: https://www.epirusinc.com/press-releases/epirus-leonidas-high-power-microwave-defeats-49-drone-swarm-100-of-drones-flown-at-live-fire-demonstrationSource snippet
EpirusEpirus' Leonidas High-Power Microwave Defeats 49-Drone Swarm...Leonidas neutralized 61-of-61 drones, culminating in a 49-drone swa...
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Source: jedonline.com
Link: https://www.jedonline.com/2023/01/24/high-power-microwave-systems-getting-much-much-closer-to-operational-status/Source snippet
Journal of Electromagnetic DominanceHigh-Power Microwave Systems – Getting (Much...January 24, 2023 — 24 Jan 2023 — This means Leonidas...
Published: January 24, 2023
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: Epirus Leonidas
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epirus_LeonidasSource snippet
Epirus LeonidasThe Leonidas is a high-power microwave (HPM) weapon developed to disable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarms. It was n...
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Source: calibredefence.co.uk
Title: epirus zaps fibre optic fpv with leonidas microwave weapon
Link: https://www.calibredefence.co.uk/epirus-zaps-fibre-optic-fpv-with-leonidas-microwave-weapon/Source snippet
Epirus zaps fibre-optic FPV with Leonidas microwave...28 Jan 2026 — Epirus has developed a microwave weapon called Leonidas that has dem...
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Source: epirusinc.com
Link: https://www.epirusinc.com/press-releases/epirus-leonidas-demonstrates-successful-use-of-high-power-microwave-to-defeat-[fiber-opticSource snippet
Epirus' Leonidas Demonstrates Successful Use of High-...13 Jan 2026 — Leonidas is the first EW-based counter-UAS technology to demonstra...
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Source: epirusinc.com
Link: https://www.epirusinc.com/Source snippet
Home of Leonidas, the Premier High-Power...Epirus combines the latest in solid-state, long-pulse high-power microwave systems with softw...
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Source: unmannedairspace.info
Title: epirus leonidas defeats 49 drone swarm with one electromagnetic burst
Link: https://www.unmannedairspace.info/counter-uas-systems-and-policies/epirus-leonidas-defeats-49-drone-swarm-with-one-electromagnetic-burst/Source snippet
Epirus' Leonidas defeats 49-drone swarm with one...2 Sept 2025 — Epirus' Leonidas defeats 49-drone swarm with one electromagnetic burst...
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Link: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/epirus_epirus-leonidas-high-power-microwave-defeats-activity-7371575751776608256-i0zZSource snippet
tic interference. “We believe showcasing our weaponized...
Additional References
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Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/401596360_Shaping_Modern_Warfare_The_Strategic_Role_of_High-Power_Microwave_Directed_Energy_Weapons_in_Multi-Domain_OperationsSource snippet
The Strategic Role of High-Power Microwave Directed...29 May 2026 — This structured narrative review analyses how High-Power Microwave (...
Published: May 2026
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Source: researchgate.net
Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/4229403_Research_on_high_power_microwave_weaponsSource snippet
(PDF) Research on high power microwave weaponsHigh-power microwave (HPM) technology, characterized by peak power exceeding 100 MW and fre...
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Source: dronelife.com
Link: https://dronelife.com/2025/10/15/microwave-counter-drone-system/ -
Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSM6q_TKcTsSource snippet
DRDO'S New Microwave Weapon Explained... frequency range, the weapon uses high‑power microwave sources to generate rapid bursts of energy...
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U.S. Directed Energy Weapons SystemsThe Government Accountability Office explains what are Directed Energy Weapons and takes a look at ho...
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Source: tomshardware.com
Title: Tom’s Hardware High-power microwave system downs 49 drones in [one shot]({{ ‘one-shot/’ | relative_url }})
Link: https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/high-power-microwave-system-downs-49-drones-in-one-shot-weaponized-electromagnetic-interference-erases-drone-swarms-en-masseSource snippet
electronics warfare company, successfully demonstrated a major advancement in counter-drone technology with its Leonidas high-power micro...
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Source: caliber.az
Title: powerful directional microwave downs six uass in nevada desert
Link: https://caliber.az/en/post/powerful-directional-microwave-downs-six-uass-in-nevada-desertSource snippet
Powerful directional microwave downs six UASs in Nevada...27 May 2024 — Leonidas is a cutting-edge, high-power solid-state HPM system th...
Published: May 2024
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Source: electronicsforu.com
Title: Frequencies around 100GHz have been exploited to build non-lethal
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Directed Energy Weapons: High Power Microwaves4 Oct 2016 — HPM weapons under development occupy the frequency range of 500MHz to 3GHz...
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Link: https://www.unmannedairspace.info/counter-uas-systems-and-policies/us-gao-report-directed-energy-weapon-technical-maturity-levels-still-lagging/Source snippet
directed energy weapon technical maturity levels still laggingUS GAO report: directed energy weapon technical maturity levels still lagging...
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Source: reddit.com
Title: Meet the Microwave Weapon That Zaps Swarms of Drones
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/STEW_ScTecEngWorld/comments/1m2npg2/meet_the_microwave_weapon_that_zaps_swarms_of/Source snippet
July 18, 2025 — Epirus, a Los Angeles-based defense company, has developed Leonidas, a high-powered microwave weapon that disables...
Published: July 18, 2025
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