Within Laser vs Microwave
Why Swarms Change The Weapon Choice
Microwave systems matter most when many cheap drones arrive together and target-by-target laser engagements risk falling behind.
On this page
- How one to many effects change the engagement timeline
- Why laser queues become a saturation problem
- What drone spacing and hardening can do to microwaves
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Introduction
Drone swarms change the economics and timing of air defence. When dozens of inexpensive unmanned aircraft approach at once, the question is no longer simply whether a weapon can destroy a drone. The critical question becomes how many drones can be defeated before they reach their target. This is where high-power microwave systems gain an important advantage over lasers. A laser typically engages one target at a time and must dwell on each target long enough to cause damage. A microwave weapon can instead project electromagnetic energy across an area, potentially affecting multiple drones during the same engagement window. As military organisations increasingly prepare for saturation attacks by large numbers of low-cost drones, this one-to-many effect has become a central reason why microwaves are often discussed alongside, and sometimes preferred to, lasers for swarm defence. [Office of Naval Research]onr.navy.milOffice of Naval ResearchDirected Energy Weapons: High Power MicrowavesHPM weapons create beams of electromagnetic energy over a broad spe…
How One-to-Many Effects Change the Engagement Timeline
The defining feature of a drone swarm is not merely the number of aircraft involved. It is the compression of decision time. A defender may have only seconds or minutes to stop dozens of incoming targets.
A laser engagement is fundamentally serial. The system must detect, track and hold energy on a particular target until a critical component fails. Once that target is defeated, the laser shifts to the next one. Against a handful of drones, this can be highly effective. Against a dense swarm, however, the defender may face a queue of targets waiting to be engaged.
High-power microwave weapons approach the problem differently. Rather than concentrating energy onto a single structural point, they attempt to couple electromagnetic energy into electronic systems. If multiple drones occupy the affected area, several may experience disruption or damage during the same pulse. The US Office of Naval Research highlights broad-beam and wide-area coverage as key advantages of high-power microwave systems, particularly because the energy is intended to interact with electronics rather than burn through physical structures. [Office of Naval Research]onr.navy.milOffice of Naval ResearchDirected Energy Weapons: High Power MicrowavesHPM weapons create beams of electromagnetic energy over a broad spe…
This difference changes the timeline of the engagement. Instead of removing threats one by one, a microwave weapon can reduce the size of the swarm in batches. Even partial disruption can matter. If a swarm loses coordination, navigation or communications across many platforms simultaneously, the defender may dramatically reduce the number of surviving drones that require individual attention.
Recent demonstrations have focused heavily on this concept. In 2025, the British Army reported successful trials of a radio-frequency directed energy weapon that defeated drone swarms and immobilised more than 100 drones across testing. The programme specifically emphasised swarm engagements rather than isolated targets. [Defence Equipment & Support]des.mod.ukbritish army uses radio waves to down drone swarmsDefence Equipment & SupportBritish Army uses radio waves to down drone swarms17 Apr 2025 — The British Army has tracked, targeted and def…
Why Laser Queues Become a Saturation Problem
The challenge for lasers is not necessarily lethality. It is throughput.
Imagine a swarm of fifty drones approaching from multiple directions. Even if a laser can destroy each drone reliably, every engagement consumes tracking resources, dwell time and beam time. The total number of drones that can be defeated therefore depends on how quickly the system can move from one target to the next.
Swarms exploit exactly this bottleneck. Their goal is often not to make each drone individually survivable but to overwhelm defensive capacity through numbers. Military analyses increasingly describe drone attacks as saturation problems because defenders can run out of engagement opportunities before they run out of threats. [GAO]gao.govgao 23 105868Directed Energy Weapons: DOD Should Focus on…17 Apr 2023 — Additionally, the departments developed a range of high power microwave…
Microwave systems are attractive because they attack the bottleneck itself. If a single pulse can affect multiple drones within a volume of airspace, the defender’s engagement rate rises dramatically. Instead of fifty separate engagements, the defender may reduce the swarm in larger groups.
This logic explains why many current microwave programmes are marketed specifically as counter-swarm systems rather than general-purpose air-defence weapons. Epirus, developer of the Leonidas high-power microwave system, repeatedly describes its technology in terms of one-to-many engagements. Public demonstrations have shown simultaneous effects against multiple drones, including tests involving large swarm formations. [Epirus]epirusinc.comEpirusEpirus' Leonidas High-Power Microwave Defeats 49-Drone…10 Sept 2025 — Leonidas engaged and defeated all three drones simultaneou…
The importance of throughput is increasingly visible in military thinking. The US Government Accountability Office notes that high-power microwave capabilities have been developed specifically for threats such as drone-swarm attacks against military facilities. [GAO]gao.govgao 23 105868Directed Energy Weapons: DOD Should Focus on…17 Apr 2023 — Additionally, the departments developed a range of high power microwave…
Why Swarm Density Matters
Microwave effects become more attractive as drone density increases. [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…
When drones are clustered together, a wider-area electromagnetic effect can potentially reach several targets within the same engagement zone. A laser does not gain much efficiency from the proximity of those targets because each still requires its own engagement sequence.
This means the relative advantage of microwaves often grows as swarm density grows. A loose formation of a few drones may not justify a wide-area effect. A concentrated group of dozens of drones approaching along similar routes presents a far more favourable target set.
Modern swarm concepts frequently depend on exactly this mass. Cheap commercial-style drones, loitering munitions and autonomous collaborative systems are often intended to force defenders into a resource mismatch. The attraction of microwave weapons lies in reversing that mismatch by allowing one engagement to influence multiple attackers. [The Strategist]aspistrategist.org.aua counter to drone swarms high power microwave weaponsThe StrategistA counter to drone swarms: high-power microwave weapons12 May 2025 — HPM weapons work by emitting directed bursts of electr…
The concept has moved beyond theory. Demonstrations by counter-drone developers have repeatedly focused on simultaneous defeats of multiple airborne systems, culminating in highly publicised tests against large drone formations. [Unmanned Airspace+2Axios]unmannedairspace.infoepirus leonidas defeats 49 drone swarm with one electromagnetic burstUnmanned AirspaceEpirus' Leonidas defeats 49-drone swarm with one…2 Sept 2025 — Epirus has successfully demonstrated its Leonidas coun…
What Drone Spacing and Hardening Can Do to Microwaves
The swarm advantage enjoyed by microwave systems is not unlimited. Attackers can adapt.
One obvious response is spacing. If drones are dispersed over a wider area, fewer aircraft may be exposed to a given microwave beam or pulse. A swarm that arrives as a tightly packed cluster presents a more favourable target than one that approaches in separated groups or from multiple axes.
Another response is electronic hardening. Microwave weapons rely on energy coupling into electronics. Better shielding, protected wiring, hardened components and more resilient system architectures can reduce vulnerability. The US Office of Naval Research notes that microwave effects depend on interaction with electronics, meaning outcomes can vary according to target design. [Office of Naval Research]onr.navy.milOffice of Naval ResearchDirected Energy Weapons: High Power MicrowavesHPM weapons create beams of electromagnetic energy over a broad spe…
There is also a practical distinction between disruption and destruction. Some microwave effects may temporarily interfere with systems, while others may cause lasting damage. Designers of both offensive drones and defensive microwave weapons are therefore engaged in a continuing competition between resilience and vulnerability. [Office of Naval Research]onr.navy.milOffice of Naval ResearchDirected Energy Weapons: High Power MicrowavesHPM weapons create beams of electromagnetic energy over a broad spe…
For defenders, this means microwave weapons are rarely viewed as a complete replacement for other air-defence layers. A portion of a swarm may survive because of spacing, shielding or simple geometry. The surviving drones still need to be handled by other systems, which may include lasers, electronic warfare tools, guns or missiles.
The Real Advantage Is Throughput, Not Precision
The strongest argument for microwave weapons against swarms is not that they are more accurate or more destructive than lasers. In many situations, lasers remain the more precise tool.
The advantage is that swarms reward engagement capacity more than precision. Once attackers begin arriving in large numbers, the defender’s problem shifts from hitting a target to keeping pace with the flow of targets. Wide-area microwave effects directly address that challenge by attempting to affect multiple drones during the same engagement opportunity. As a result, drone swarms increasingly push air-defence planners toward layered architectures in which microwaves thin out mass attacks while more precise systems deal with the remaining threats. [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…
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Further Reading
Books and field guides related to Why Swarms Change The Weapon Choice. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.
Army of None
Explains autonomy, drone swarms, and why massed unmanned systems change weapon-selection logic.
The Kill Chain
Covers the operational need for faster sensing, decisions, and engagement against high-volume threats.
Drone Warfare
Supports the page’s focus on how drone numbers and tactics alter defensive choices.
Kill Chain
Covers the operational need for faster sensing, decisions, and engagement against high-volume threats.
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Endnotes
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Source: gao.gov
Title: gao 23 105868
Link: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-105868Source snippet
Directed Energy Weapons: DOD Should Focus on...17 Apr 2023 — Additionally, the departments developed a range of high power microwave...
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Source: axios.com
Link: https://www.axios.com/2025/08/28/epirus-indiana-drone-swarm-demo-leonidasSource snippet
The event highlighted a significant advancement in counter-drone technology amid growing global security concerns over drone swarms, whic...
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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 — These weapons include high energy lasers and other high power electromagne...
Published: May 2023
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Source: youtube.com
Title: America Unleashes Microwave Hell on China’s Army!
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKPVBuTiQd4Source snippet
Epirus Leonidas: High-Power Microwave for Counter-Electronics...
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Source: youtube.com
Title: Epirus Leonidas: High-Power Microwave for Counter-Electronics
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLA826fH4VcSource snippet
High power microwave weapon drone swarm leonidas raytheon epirus Epirus Leonidas: High-Power Microwave for Counter-Electronics Epirus...
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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: des.mod.uk
Title: british army uses radio waves to down drone swarms
Link: https://des.mod.uk/british-army-uses-radio-waves-to-down-drone-swarms/Source snippet
Defence Equipment & SupportBritish Army uses radio waves to down drone swarms17 Apr 2025 — The British Army has tracked, targeted and def...
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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...10 Sept 2025 — Leonidas engaged and defeated all three drones simultaneou...
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Source: epirusinc.com
Link: https://www.epirusinc.com/electronic-warfareSource snippet
Epirus Leonidas High-Power Microwave: Directed Energy...Leonidas is a solid-state, high-power HPM system, utilizing Gallium Nitride (GaN...
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Source: aspistrategist.org.au
Title: a counter to drone swarms high power microwave weapons
Link: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/a-counter-to-drone-swarms-high-power-microwave-weapons/Source snippet
The StrategistA counter to drone swarms: high-power microwave weapons12 May 2025 — HPM weapons work by emitting directed bursts of electr...
Published: May 2025
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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
Unmanned AirspaceEpirus' Leonidas defeats 49-drone swarm with one...2 Sept 2025 — Epirus has successfully demonstrated its Leonidas coun...
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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 directed energy, long-pulse high-power microwaves (HPM), AI, an...
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Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrkopSw5uasSource snippet
100% successful against drones flown...
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Source: droneintelligence.ai
Link: https://droneintelligence.ai/companies/epirusSource snippet
, Company Profile | Drone Intelligence2 May 2026 — High-power microwave (HPM) counter-drone systems. Leonidas platform is the leading non...
Published: May 2026
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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. in with...
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: Directed energy weapon
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directed-energy_weaponSource snippet
Directed-energy weaponA directed-energy weapon (DEW) is a ranged weapon that damages its target with highly focused energy without a s...
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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...
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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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Title: epirus confirms leonidas microwave system integration with dft platform
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Epirus confirms Leonidas microwave system integration...25 Feb 2026 — The combined system links autonomous detection and tracking with n...
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Source: dronelife.com
Title: microwave counter drone system
Link: https://dronelife.com/2025/10/15/microwave-counter-drone-system/Source snippet
15 Oct 2025 — Epirus and General Dynamics unveil Leonidas AR, a mobile microwave counter drone system designed to defeat drone swarms for...
Additional References
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Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/unitedkingdom/comments/1hled0c/radio_frequency_directed_energy_weapon/Source snippet
Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon successfully...RFDEWs are a type of directed energy weapon that neutralises threats by emitting h...
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Source: twz.com
Title: army puts 50m bet on next gen leonidas high power microwave counter drone tech
Link: https://www.twz.com/land/army-puts-50m-bet-on-next-gen-leonidas-high-power-microwave-counter-drone-techSource snippet
Army Puts $43M Bet On Next Gen Leonidas High Power...17 Jul 2025 — Epirus' CEO says successful tests of the company's Gen II system capa...
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Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSM6q_TKcTsSource snippet
DRDO'S New Microwave Weapon ExplainedDRDO'S New Microwave Weapon Explained The DRDO High Power Microwave (HPM) Directed Energy Weapon sys...
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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 }})
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electronics warfare company, successfully demonstrated a major advancement in counter-drone technology with its Leonidas high-power micro...
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Directed Energy Weapons in CounterDrone Missile Defense4 May 2026 — These include energy beams like laser, microwave, or radio frequency...
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Counter-UAS Mission Seen as Killer App for Directed EnergyJan 20, 2026 — High-powered microwaves can blast more energy at a drone or dron...
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le drone swarms by emitting targeted electromagnetic pulses to overload and...
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Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) Market Size, Share, and...7 May 2025 — These advanced systems are considered highly effective for neutrali...
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Title: The Rise of Directed Energy Weapons in Defense
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