Within Layered Defence
Can Microwaves Really Stop a Drone Swarm?
High-power microwaves may disrupt many drones at once, but shielding, autonomy and mixed designs make backup layers essential.
On this page
- Why microwaves appeal against groups of drones
- Why effects can vary across different targets
- How backup layers cover incomplete disruption
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Introduction
High-power microwave (HPM) weapons are attractive for drone swarm defence because they attack a problem that lasers and missiles struggle with: many targets arriving at once. Instead of focusing on one drone at a time, a microwave system can project electromagnetic energy across a wider area and potentially disrupt multiple drones in a single engagement. That makes microwaves one of the most promising directed-energy responses to saturation attacks by large groups of small unmanned aircraft. However, promising is not the same as guaranteed. Real-world performance depends on how energy couples into a target’s electronics, how the drones are built, and whether all members of a swarm are equally vulnerable. As a result, military organisations increasingly treat microwaves as a valuable layer within a broader defensive network rather than a stand-alone solution. [RTX+2Army]rtx.comPhaser High-Power Microwave System | RaytheonDefending at the speed of light. The Phaser high-power microwave system uses directed ene…
Can Microwaves Really Stop a Drone Swarm?
The short answer is yes—sometimes dramatically so—but not with perfect certainty.
Unlike a laser, which generally must dwell on an individual target long enough to damage it, a high-power microwave system attempts to flood an area with electromagnetic energy. If that energy reaches vulnerable electronic components, it can disrupt processors, sensors, power-management systems or communications equipment. The appeal is obvious: a single pulse may affect multiple drones within the beam rather than requiring sequential engagements. [RTX+2Military Embedded Systems]rtx.comPhaser High-Power Microwave System | RaytheonDefending at the speed of light. The Phaser high-power microwave system uses directed ene…
Recent demonstrations have reinforced this attraction. Raytheon has repeatedly presented its Phaser system as a means of engaging both individual drones and swarms with a wide microwave beam. Earlier Army exercises reported multiple-drone defeats during swarm scenarios. [RTX+2Raytheon News Release Archive]rtx.comPhaser High-Power Microwave System | RaytheonDefending at the speed of light. The Phaser high-power microwave system uses directed ene…
More recently, developers of the Leonidas microwave system reported tests in which large groups of drones were disabled nearly simultaneously. Public accounts from industry and defence reporting describe demonstrations involving dozens of drones, including a widely cited event in which a 49-drone swarm reportedly dropped from the sky after microwave exposure. [National Defense Magazine+2Epirus]nationaldefensemagazine.orgcounterdrone mission seen as killer app for directed energyNational Defense MagazineCounter-UAS Mission Seen as Killer App for Directed Energy20 Jan 2026 — High-powered microwaves can blast more e…
These results explain why defence planners view microwaves as one of the few technologies capable of addressing the economics of swarm attacks. A defender facing dozens of inexpensive drones may not want to spend dozens of missiles, while a microwave system can potentially engage many threats with a single burst. [Breaking Defense+2DroneShield]breakingdefense.comhigh power microwave force field knocks drone swarms from skyBreaking DefenseHigh-power microwave 'force field' knocks drone swarms…Feb 18, 2025 — The Defense Department is experimenting with hig…
Why Microwaves Appeal Against Groups of Drones
The key advantage is not merely speed. It is area effect.
A laser concentrates energy onto one spot. A microwave weapon spreads electromagnetic energy across a volume of space. If multiple drones occupy that volume, several may experience disruptive effects during the same engagement. This characteristic directly addresses the saturation challenge posed by swarms. [RTX+2Military Embedded Systems]rtx.comPhaser High-Power Microwave System | RaytheonDefending at the speed of light. The Phaser high-power microwave system uses directed ene…
Several practical benefits follow:
- Simultaneous engagement potential: Multiple drones can be affected in a single pulse or short series of pulses. [RTX]rtx.comPhaser High-Power Microwave System | RaytheonDefending at the speed of light. The Phaser high-power microwave system uses directed ene…
- Speed-of-light interaction: No physical interceptor must travel to the target. [RTX]rtx.comHigh Power Microwaves | Raytheon HPMs provide instantaneous target interaction, can engage threats multiple times and prevent the need foRTXHigh Power Microwaves | RaytheonHPMs provide instantaneous target interaction, can engage threats multiple times and prevent the need…
- Magazine depth: As long as sufficient electrical power is available, operators are not constrained by a finite stock of missiles loaded on a launcher. [RTX]rtx.comHigh Power Microwaves | Raytheon HPMs provide instantaneous target interaction, can engage threats multiple times and prevent the need foRTXHigh Power Microwaves | RaytheonHPMs provide instantaneous target interaction, can engage threats multiple times and prevent the need…
- Potential cost advantages: Electricity-based engagements may be less expensive than expending large numbers of kinetic interceptors against inexpensive drones. [DroneShield]droneshield.comA Counter to Drone Swarms: High-Power Microwave…But HPM weapons can neutralise swarms of drones in a single, speed-of-light…
These characteristics make microwaves particularly relevant for defending airfields, bases, ports and other fixed sites where attackers may attempt to overwhelm defences through numbers rather than sophistication. [The War Zone+2Army]twz.comthor microwave anti drone system downs swarms in testThe War ZoneTHOR Microwave Anti-Drone System Downs Swarms In Test19 May 2023 — A high-power microwave counter-drone system, the container…
Why Effects Can Vary Across Different Targets
The challenge is that microwave weapons do not interact with every drone in the same way. [dronelife.com]dronelife.commicrowave counter drone system15 Oct 2025 — Epirus and General Dynamics unveil Leonidas AR, a mobile microwave counter drone system designed to defeat drone swarms for…
Their effectiveness depends on whether electromagnetic energy can reach sensitive electronics at damaging levels. Defence specialists often describe this as a coupling problem: the energy must find a path into the systems that keep the drone functioning. A drone’s structure, wiring layout, shielding, component placement and orientation can all influence the result. [National Defense Magazine+2defencefinancemonitor.com]nationaldefensemagazine.orgcounterdrone mission seen as killer app for directed energyNational Defense MagazineCounter-UAS Mission Seen as Killer App for Directed Energy20 Jan 2026 — High-powered microwaves can blast more e…
This creates several sources of uncertainty.
Shielding and Design Differences
Not all drones are equally exposed. Some designs may inadvertently provide better protection through metallic structures, component placement or electromagnetic hardening. Others may contain vulnerable wiring arrangements that act almost like antennas for incoming energy. Consequently, two visually similar drones can react differently to the same microwave pulse. [National Defense Magazine+2defencefinancemonitor.com]nationaldefensemagazine.orgcounterdrone mission seen as killer app for directed energyNational Defense MagazineCounter-UAS Mission Seen as Killer App for Directed Energy20 Jan 2026 — High-powered microwaves can blast more e…
Partial Rather Than Total Effects
Microwave exposure does not always produce a dramatic crash. Effects can range from temporary disruption and sensor malfunction to complete electronic failure. Some drones may lose functionality immediately, while others continue operating with degraded performance. [ResearchGate+2defencefinancemonitor.com]researchgate.netThe answer to such attack in recent years is directed energy (DE), which include high energy laser (HEL) and high…Read more…
Autonomous Behaviour Complicates Defence
Many counter-drone approaches rely on disrupting communications links. Increasing autonomy reduces dependence on external control signals. Microwaves remain relevant because they target onboard electronics rather than merely radio links, but autonomous drones still create a challenge: if some members of a swarm survive exposure, they may continue their mission without external guidance. [arXiv+2Security and Defence]arxiv.orgOpen source on arxiv.org.
Geometry and Exposure Matter
Microwave effectiveness is influenced by range, beam shape, orientation and the time a target remains within the effective engagement zone. Simulation research and technical analyses indicate that kill probabilities can vary significantly as these factors change, underscoring why performance should be viewed probabilistically rather than as an automatic outcome. [arXiv]arxiv.orgOpen source on arxiv.org.
The result is an important operational reality: a microwave system may disable many drones in a swarm while leaving some unaffected or only partially affected.
How Backup Layers Cover Incomplete Disruption
Because microwave effects can vary, modern air-defence thinking does not assume that a successful microwave engagement ends the fight.
Instead, microwaves are increasingly positioned as an initial thinning layer. Their job is to reduce the number of incoming drones before other defensive systems engage the survivors. [RTX+2Army]rtx.comHigh Power Microwaves | Raytheon HPMs provide instantaneous target interaction, can engage threats multiple times and prevent the need foRTXHigh Power Microwaves | RaytheonHPMs provide instantaneous target interaction, can engage threats multiple times and prevent the need…
A typical layered sequence might look like this:
- Detection and tracking systems identify and classify the swarm.
- High-power microwaves attempt to disrupt or disable multiple drones simultaneously. [rtx.com]rtx.comPhaser High-Power Microwave System | RaytheonDefending at the speed of light. The Phaser high-power microwave system uses directed ene…
- Lasers engage surviving drones individually, especially those that emerge from the microwave engagement area.
- Electronic warfare systems continue attempts to interfere with vulnerable targets.
- Guns or missiles provide the final safety net against threats that remain operational. RTX+2Army
This layered model recognises that the value of microwaves is not measured solely by whether every drone falls from the sky. If a microwave pulse reduces a swarm from fifty drones to ten, the burden on subsequent defensive layers changes dramatically. The remaining targets become more manageable for lasers, guns or missiles, and the risk of defensive saturation falls. National Defense Magazine+2Breaking Defense
The Real Role of Microwaves in Swarm Defence
The most realistic view is that microwaves are a force multiplier rather than a magic shield.
They offer one of the few mechanisms capable of affecting multiple drones nearly simultaneously, making them uniquely valuable against swarm attacks. Demonstrations by systems such as Phaser, THOR and Leonidas suggest that large-scale disruption is achievable under favourable conditions. RTX+2The War Zone
Yet the same body of evidence also points to why military planners continue building layered defences. Drone construction varies. Electromagnetic vulnerability varies. Exposure conditions vary. Some drones may be disabled instantly, while others may survive long enough to require another form of engagement. For that reason, microwaves fit best as the first major reduction layer in a broader counter-swarm architecture, improving the odds for every defensive system that follows rather than replacing them. arXiv+3National Defense Magazine+3defencefinancemonitor.com
Amazon book picks
Further Reading
Books and field guides related to Can Microwaves Really Stop a Drone Swarm?. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.
Army of None
Explains autonomous systems, swarming logic, and the strategic shift behind counter-swarm directed energy.
The Kill Chain
Covers the sensor, decision, and weapons networks that shape layered drone and missile defence.
Drone Warfare
Gives context for why swarms strain conventional air defence and make new counter-drone weapons attractive.
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Endnotes
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Phaser High-Power Microwave System | RaytheonDefending at the speed of light. The Phaser high-power microwave system uses directed ene...
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The War ZoneTHOR Microwave Anti-Drone System Downs Swarms In Test19 May 2023 — A high-power microwave counter-drone system, the container...
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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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The demonstration peaked with a 49-drone swarm defeat, using [one burst]({{ 'one-burst/' | relative_url }}) of...
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Epirus zaps fibre-optic FPV with Leonidas microwave...28 Jan 2026 — Epirus has developed a microwave weapon called Leonidas that has dem...
Additional References
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High-power microwave system downs 49 drones in one shot28 Sept 2025 — The Epirus Leonidas weapon 'neutralized 61-of-61 drones' during a r...
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Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/british-soldiers-take-down-drone-swarm-in-groundbreaking-use-of-radio-wave-weaponSource snippet
soldiers take down drone swarm in groundbreaking...17 Apr 2025 — It uses high frequency radio waves to disrupt or damage critical electr...
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Source: unmannedairspace.info
Title: raytheon to deliver high power microwave to us air force to combat drone swarms
Link: https://www.unmannedairspace.info/counter-uas-systems-and-policies/raytheon-to-deliver-high-power-microwave-to-us-air-force-to-combat-drone-swarms/Source snippet
Raytheon to deliver high power microwave to US Air Force...25 Sept 2019 — The US Air Force will test Raytheon's prototype High-Power Mic...
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Link: https://www.everythingrf.com/news/details/21275-us-military-demonstrates-high-powered-microwave-system-to-counter-drone-swarmsSource snippet
military demonstration at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, showcased a new kind of counter-drone capability, as dozens of quadcopters were...
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Raytheon's High-Power Microwave Weapon Downs DronesThe phaser system engaged and shot down two different types of UAS targets a tempest t...
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Title: leonidas new u s microwave weapon instantly destroys 49 drones
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New U.S. Microwave Weapon Instantly Destroys 49 Drones2 Sept 2025 — American company Epirus recently presented its Leonidas hig...
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A counter to drone swarms: high-power microwave weapons12 May 2025 — HPM weapons work by emitting directed bursts of electromagnetic ener...
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Mil Tech — Drones No Match for High-Power MicrowavesJun 29, 2018 — Raytheon has successfully demonstrated the ability of its high-power m...
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nti-aircraft gun since electricity is cheaper than physical...Read more...
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