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Can Microwaves Stop Drone Swarms?

Microwave weapons aim at electronics, making them especially interesting when many small drones arrive at once.

On this page

  • How microwave effects differ from lasers
  • Why wider beams help against swarms
  • The problem of nearby friendly electronics
Preview for Can Microwaves Stop Drone Swarms?

Introduction

High-power microwave weapons are being explored as a counter-drone-swarm tool because they attack what every small drone depends on: vulnerable electronics. Instead of trying to hit one airframe at a time, as a gun, missile or laser usually must, a microwave system can project electromagnetic energy across a wider beam and disrupt several drones in the same engagement. That makes the technology especially attractive for defending airbases, ships, depots and mobile forces against many cheap unmanned aircraft arriving together.

Overview image for Microwaves The promise is real, but it is not magic. High-power microwaves need enough power, the right geometry, good detection and tracking, and strict control of where the electromagnetic effect goes. They may disable or damage hostile drones, but they can also threaten friendly radios, sensors, vehicles or civilian electronics if used carelessly. That is why the most credible role for microwave counter-swarm systems is as one layer in directed energy air defence, not as a universal shield.

How microwaves attack drones differently from lasers

A laser defeats a drone by putting intense light onto a small area for long enough to blind a sensor, heat a structure, burn through a casing or damage a component. A high-power microwave weapon works through a different route: it emits radio-frequency or microwave energy intended to couple into electronics, wiring, antennas, circuit boards and control systems. The Office of Naval Research describes high-power microwave weapons as systems that create beams across radio and microwave frequencies to interact with electronics, causing damage or disruption from which the target cannot recover quickly enough to complete its mission. [Office of Naval Research]onr.navy.milOffice of Naval Research Directed Energy Weapons: High Power MicrowavesOffice of Naval ResearchDirected Energy Weapons: High Power MicrowavesMarch 19, 2022 — HPM weapons create beams of electromagnetic energy…Published: March 19, 2022

That difference matters because a small drone is, in practical terms, a flying electronics package. Its flight controller, electronic speed controllers, receiver, navigation unit, sensors, power-management circuits and data links all create possible pathways for unwanted electromagnetic energy. If the pulse induces large enough voltages or currents, the result may be temporary malfunction, loss of control, corrupted signals, latch-up in semiconductor devices, or permanent damage.

This also separates high-power microwaves from ordinary jamming. A jammer usually tries to interfere with a communications, command or navigation link, which may fail against autonomous drones, pre-programmed routes or fibre-optic controlled systems. A high-power microwave system aims at the drone’s electronics themselves. Epirus, one of the most visible commercial developers in this field, framed its January 2026 Leonidas demonstration as significant because it claimed effects against fibre-optic controlled unmanned aircraft, a class of drone that is deliberately designed to avoid normal radio-link jamming. [Epirus]epirusinc.comEpirusEpirus' Leonidas Demonstrates Successful Use of High-…Jan 13, 2026 — Leonidas is the first EW-based counter-UAS technology to de…

The result is a “counter-electronics” weapon rather than a miniature lightning bolt. Public descriptions often say such systems “fry” electronics, but the real outcome can vary. Some drones may fall immediately. Others may glitch, reboot, lose navigation, enter failsafe behaviour or suffer partial damage. Exact effectiveness depends on the transmitted power, pulse shape, frequency, antenna gain, range, drone orientation, shielding, wire lengths, casing design and which electronics happen to be exposed to the strongest fields.

Why wider beams matter against swarms

The central attraction of high-power microwaves is the one-to-many engagement. A laser is usually precise and narrow: that is useful when a defender wants to avoid collateral effects, but it also means each target often requires its own track, aim point and dwell time. A drone swarm reverses the defender’s preferred economics by presenting many cheap targets at once.

Microwave systems are appealing because their beam can cover a larger volume. The Air Force Research Laboratory’s THOR system was explicitly developed as a counter-swarm electromagnetic weapon for airbase defence, providing non-kinetic defeat of multiple targets and operating from a wall plug to disable drones. AFRL says the system fits in a 20-foot transport container, can be moved by C-130 aircraft, and can be set up within about three hours. [afresearchlab.com]afresearchlab.comTACTICA L HIGH POWER OPERATIONAL RESPONDERTACTICAL HIGH POWER OPERATIONAL RESPONDER…September 16, 2019 — Winner of the What's New in Defense 2021 award, THOR is a counter-swarm…Published: September 16, 2019

In a 2023 AFRL swarm demonstration, officials described THOR as using a wide beam, high peak power and a fast-moving gimbal to track and disable multiple targets during a simulated real-world swarm attack. [afrl.af.mil]afrl.af.milR L conducts swarm technology demonstrationRL conducts swarm technology demonstrationMay 16, 2023 — 16 May 2023 — “THOR was exceptionally effective at disabling the swarm with it…Published: May 16, 2023 That is the key operational distinction: the weapon is not trying to make a single beautiful shot. It is trying to put enough electromagnetic stress into a group of small unmanned aircraft quickly enough that the defender is not overwhelmed by target count.

AFRL’s longer-term directed-energy futures work makes the same point in more technical language. It notes that high-power microwaves can propagate in a conical beam several degrees across or larger, allowing multiple unmanned aircraft in that beam to be disrupted at the same time. [afrl.af.mil]afrl.af.milDirected Energy Futures 2060 Final29June21 with clearance number2060 directed energy futures - Air Force Research LaboratoryJuly 9, 2021 — 16 Jul 2021 — This includes c-UAS swarms, because the high pow…Published: July 9, 2021 In swarm defence, that cone-shaped engagement zone is the feature, not a flaw.

The US Army has described the laser-versus-microwave distinction even more plainly. In discussing cooperation with the Air Force’s THOR programme, Army Lt Gen L. Neil Thurgood said high-energy lasers kill one target at a time, while high-power microwaves can kill groups or swarms; the Army therefore wanted both technologies in a layered defence approach. [afrl.af.mil]afrl.af.milArmy partners with Air Force's THOR for base defenseFebruary 23, 2021 — 23 Feb 2021 — "High energy lasers kill one target at a time, and high powered microwaves can kill groups or swarms, w…Published: February 23, 2021

Microwaves illustration 1

What recent demonstrations show

The strongest public evidence for this branch is not a single theory paper, but a pattern of demonstrations by government laboratories and industry teams. These demonstrations should still be treated carefully: test ranges are controlled environments, system details are often classified or commercially sensitive, and press releases do not reveal all failure modes. Even so, they show why militaries are taking the microwave lane seriously.

The US Air Force’s THOR programme is one of the clearest official examples. AFRL says THOR was designed to defend airbases against drone swarms, using high-power microwaves to create a counter-electronic effect. In public fact sheets, AFRL describes the discharge as extremely fast and the effect on the target as instantaneous. [afresearchlab.com]afresearchlab.comAFRL THOR FS 0122THOR is a counter-swarm electromagnetic weapon the. Air Force Research Laboratory developed for defense.Read more…

THOR also became a stepping stone rather than a one-off experiment. In 2022, AFRL awarded Leidos a contract for Mjölnir, a next-generation high-power microwave weapon system building on THOR. AFRL said Mjölnir would use the same basic technology but add improvements in capability, reliability and manufacturing readiness, including enhanced range and better unmanned aircraft detection and tracking. [afrl.af.mil]afrl.af.milR L awards contract for drone killer, Mjölnir; brings newR L awards contract for drone killer, Mjölnir; brings new

Industry demonstrations have moved in the same direction. Epirus said in September 2025 that its Leonidas high-power microwave system neutralised 61 of 61 drones in a live-fire demonstration, including a 49-drone swarm in one electromagnetic pulse. That is a company claim, but it is still relevant because it shows how the counter-swarm use case is being marketed and tested: not as a precision shot against a single quadcopter, but as a wide-area electromagnetic engagement against many small robotic threats. [Epirus]epirusinc.comOpen source on epirusinc.com.

The United Kingdom has also tested radio-frequency directed energy against drone swarms. In April 2025, the Ministry of Defence said British soldiers had tracked, targeted and defeated swarms of drones with a UK-developed radiofrequency directed energy weapon demonstrator. The government described the system as using high-frequency radio waves to disrupt or damage electronic components, with a stated firing cost of about 10 pence per shot. [GOV.UK]GOV.UKBritish soldiers take down drone swarm in groundbreakingBritish soldiers take down drone swarm in groundbreaking

A follow-up industry account from Thales in 2026 described RapidDestroyer as a radio-frequency directed-energy system intended to take out swarms of incoming mini and micro drones, again emphasising the low shot cost and the counter-swarm mission. [thalesgroup.com]thalesgroup.comwhat are radio frequency directed energy weaponswhat are radio frequency directed energy weapons These examples point to a shared implementation logic across the US and UK: microwave systems are most attractive where the defender expects many small, electronic, relatively close-range targets rather than a few hardened aircraft.

THOR (Tactical High-power Operational Responder) Destroys Swarms of Enemy Drones

Channel: AFResearchLab

Open on YouTube

Why the same feature creates risk

The wider beam that makes high-power microwaves attractive against swarms also creates their central operational problem: discrimination. A laser can be aimed at a specific spot on a specific target. A microwave beam may affect whatever susceptible electronics are inside the relevant area and coupling path.

The US Government Accountability Office flags this issue directly. In its 2023 technology assessment of directed energy weapons, GAO notes that wider-beam systems such as high-power microwave or millimetre-wave weapons may affect assets in an area whether they are friend or foe. [GAO]gao.govgao 23 106717gao 23 106717 That is not a minor caveat. It shapes where and how these systems can be used.

Around an isolated base perimeter, desert test range, ship approach corridor or forward defensive line, the risk may be manageable. In a dense city, busy port, crowded airport, friendly command post or mixed civilian-military area, it becomes harder. Radios, vehicle electronics, medical devices, sensors, navigation equipment, commercial drones, mobile infrastructure and friendly unmanned systems may all be present.

This is why microwave counter-swarm defence is not just a weapon-engineering problem. It is also an electromagnetic battle-management problem. Operators need to know not only where the hostile drones are, but also what else is in the beam path, what friendly systems are vulnerable, what frequencies and pulse modes are being used, and what consequences a missed or over-broad engagement could produce.

There is also a tactical irony. Modern forces increasingly rely on their own small drones, radios, electronic-warfare systems and networked sensors. A weapon designed to exploit the electronic vulnerability of enemy drones must be integrated so it does not degrade the friendly network it is trying to protect.

What makes a drone vulnerable or resistant

Not all drones are equally easy microwave targets. Small commercial-style quadcopters often contain compact, lightly shielded electronics and exposed wiring, which can make them attractive targets for electromagnetic attack. But susceptibility varies widely.

Several factors matter in practice:

  • Electronics layout: Long wires, unshielded harnesses and exposed connectors can act as pathways for induced energy.
  • Casing and shielding: Conductive enclosures, filtering and better grounding can reduce coupling into sensitive components.
  • Orientation: The target’s angle to the beam can change which wires, antennas or circuit paths absorb energy.
  • Flight mode: A drone relying on a live radio link may be vulnerable to jamming as well as microwave effects, while an autonomous drone may require direct disruption of onboard electronics.
  • Redundancy: More robust drones may tolerate partial faults, reboot quickly or continue on inertial guidance for a time.
  • Swarm spacing: A loose swarm may require scanning or multiple engagements, while a compact formation better suits a wide beam.

Technical modelling work illustrates how uncertain these interactions can be. A 2026 simulation study of high-power microwave counter-UAS design modelled electromagnetic propagation, antenna patterns, coupling into drone wiring and semiconductor damage probability. Its results varied strongly with range, pointing error, wire orientation, polarisation mismatch and component thresholds, showing why “microwave versus drone” is not a single fixed outcome. [arXiv]arxiv.orgOpen source on arxiv.org.

That variability does not negate the technology. It explains why operational testing matters. A microwave system that works well against a set of commercial quadcopters at a known range may perform differently against shielded military drones, altered wiring, distributed swarms or drones flying through cluttered terrain. The true military question is therefore not “can microwaves disable drones?” but “against which drones, at what range, in what density, and with what collateral risk?”

Microwaves illustration 2

Where microwave systems fit in layered defence

High-power microwaves are best understood as part of a layered counter-UAS architecture. They do not replace radar, electro-optical sensors, passive radio-frequency detection, jammers, guns, interceptors, nets or lasers. They depend on many of those systems to find, classify and prioritise targets before the microwave effector is used.

A practical layered defence might use radar or passive sensors to detect a low-flying drone group, electro-optical systems to help classify it, electronic warfare to disrupt command links, a high-power microwave system to attack the swarm’s electronics, and kinetic interceptors or guns for leakers that survive or approach from awkward angles. That layered approach matters because no single counter-drone method covers every case.

Microwaves are especially attractive in three situations. First, when target count is high and one-to-one interceptors would be exhausted. Second, when the defender wants a low-cost-per-shot option for repeated attacks. Third, when small drones are close enough and electronically vulnerable enough that a counter-electronics effect can be achieved before they release munitions or reach the defended asset.

They are less ideal where the defender needs surgical precision, long-range interception, clean operation near sensitive electronics, or guaranteed effect against hardened systems. In those cases, a laser, missile, gun or electronic-warfare technique may be safer or more reliable. The US Congressional Research Service places high-power microwave weapons within the broader directed-energy family alongside lasers, but the important operational point is that each type solves a different part of the air-defence problem. [EveryCRSReport]everycrsreport.comOpen source on everycrsreport.com.

AFRL's THOR Tracks and Disables Drone Swarm

Channel: AFResearchLab

Open on YouTube

The power and deployment problem

The phrase “low cost per shot” can obscure the fact that the system itself is not simple. A microwave counter-swarm weapon needs power generation, pulse-forming electronics, thermal management, antennas, beam control, sensors, safety systems and integration into command networks. The electricity used in a firing event may be cheap; the platform and support chain are not.

THOR’s containerised design shows one implementation path. It can be transported, set up at a base and used for point defence, but that is different from giving every platoon a pocket-sized swarm shield. [afresearchlab.com]afresearchlab.comTACTICA L HIGH POWER OPERATIONAL RESPONDERTACTICAL HIGH POWER OPERATIONAL RESPONDER…September 16, 2019 — Winner of the What's New in Defense 2021 award, THOR is a counter-swarm…Published: September 16, 2019 Mjölnir’s stated improvements in reliability, manufacturability, range, detection and tracking also reveal where the hard engineering lies: not only in producing a pulse, but in turning the demonstrator into a deployable, repeatable military system. [afrl.af.mil]afrl.af.milR L awards contract for drone killer, Mjölnir; brings newR L awards contract for drone killer, Mjölnir; brings new

Vehicle integration adds another layer of complexity. Mounting a microwave system on a truck or armoured vehicle can make it tactically useful, but the vehicle must supply power, survive battlefield conditions, manage heat, remain electromagnetically compatible with its own systems and avoid advertising itself as a high-value target. Naval integration faces different constraints, including ship power, deck space, salt environment, electromagnetic compatibility and integration with combat systems.

This is why the near-term role is likely to be point defence before broad manoeuvre deployment. Bases, ships, depots and critical fixed sites can more easily support the power, safety planning and sensor integration that high-power microwave systems need. Mobile systems may follow, but only where power and electromagnetic-control problems are solved well enough for real field use.

The US Army's new answer to drone swarms: LEONIDAS

Channel: Sandboxx

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What readers should not misunderstand

The most common misunderstanding is that a microwave counter-swarm weapon is a giant version of a kitchen microwave pointed at the sky. The analogy is useful only at the most basic level: both involve electromagnetic energy. Military high-power microwave systems are directional, pulsed, engineered around coupling into electronics, and integrated with sensors and fire-control logic. Their effectiveness is not defined by simple heating alone.

A second misunderstanding is that high-power microwaves make all drones obsolete. They do not. Drone designers can respond with shielding, filtering, redundancy, altered wiring, fibre-optic control, autonomy, greater spacing, decoys, different approach angles or attacks timed to saturate multiple defence layers. The measure-countermeasure cycle is already part of drone warfare.

A third misunderstanding is that the wide beam makes targeting easy. It helps against multiple drones, but it does not eliminate the need to detect, classify, aim and manage risk. A wide beam used at the wrong time can waste energy, miss a dispersed group, affect friendly equipment or leave surviving drones to continue the attack.

The final misunderstanding is that microwave systems should be judged only by dramatic swarm-downing demonstrations. Those demonstrations are important, but operational value depends on less spectacular details: uptime, false alarms, maintenance burden, training, safe operating zones, rules of engagement, range in cluttered environments, integration with other defences and performance against modified drones.

The practical takeaway

High-power microwaves are one of the most plausible directed-energy answers to drone swarms because they match the target set: many small aircraft, dense electronics, short engagement windows and unfavourable economics for missile-based defence. Their distinctive advantage is not precision; it is area effect against electronics.

That same area effect is also the limitation. Microwave systems must be used where the defender can manage electromagnetic spillover, protect friendly systems and accept that the outcome may vary by drone design and geometry. The most realistic future is therefore not a single microwave wall that stops every swarm, but a layered defence in which high-power microwaves handle dense groups of vulnerable drones while lasers, guns, missiles, jammers and sensors cover the cases they cannot.

Microwaves illustration 3

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Endnotes

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Additional References

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    Source snippet

    High-Power Microwaves Drone Swarm THOR Epirus Leonidas Epirus Leonidas: High-Power Microwave for Counter-Electronics Epirus...

  2. Source: youtube.com
    Title: The US Army’s new answer to drone swarms: LEONIDAS
    Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSETxYGrxVw
    Source snippet

    THOR (Tactical High-power Operational Responder) Destroys Swarms of Enemy Drones...

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    Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355076469_Analysis_of_Electromagnetic_Pulse_Effects_Under_High-Power_Microwave_Sources

  9. Source: theguardian.com
    Link: https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2026/jun/18/bank-of-england-interest-rates-uk-unemployment-wages-oil-price-stock-markets-latest-news-updates

  10. Source: instagram.com
    Link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWjefMaoiz8/?hl=en

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