Within Electronics Risk
The Rules That Keep Leonidas From Backfiring
Leonidas becomes more useful when commanders define exclusion zones, compatibility checks and engagement rules before firing near friendly networks.
On this page
- Why exclusion zones matter around HPM systems
- How compatibility planning protects key equipment
- Where operator discretion fits layered defense
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Introduction
High-power microwave systems such as Leonidas are designed to disable hostile drones by flooding their electronics with intense electromagnetic energy. That capability becomes operationally valuable only if commanders can use it without disrupting their own communications, sensors and command networks. Because microwave effects can extend across an area rather than a single point, the key governance challenge is not simply whether Leonidas can stop a drone swarm, but whether it can do so while preserving friendly communications that may be supporting the same operation. The practical answer is a set of employment rules: establish exclusion zones, conduct electromagnetic compatibility checks before deployment, and give operators clear authority to delay or modify engagements when critical networks are at risk. These measures reflect broader military practices for electromagnetic-spectrum management and are especially important for area-effect microwave weapons. [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…
Why Exclusion Zones Matter Around HPM Systems
Leonidas is attractive because it can affect multiple electronic targets simultaneously. However, the same characteristic that allows one pulse to engage a swarm can also create risks for nearby friendly systems if those systems occupy the same electromagnetic environment. Government and defence assessments of high-power microwave weapons consistently note that their larger beam areas can affect multiple targets and potentially influence assets throughout a broader zone. [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…
For that reason, one of the most important operating rules is the creation of exclusion zones before engagement. An exclusion zone is a predefined area in which friendly communications equipment, command posts, sensitive sensors or friendly unmanned systems are not permitted during microwave firing operations.
In practice, commanders typically need to define:
- Communication exclusion zones, where critical radios, data links or satellite communication terminals must not be exposed to expected microwave effects.
- Airspace exclusion zones, preventing friendly drones from entering an engagement sector during firing windows.
- Equipment protection zones, covering command-and-control nodes, intelligence systems and other mission-critical electronics.
- Personnel coordination zones, ensuring all units understand when Leonidas is authorised to fire and which systems may need temporary protection measures.
The objective is not merely safety. It is operational continuity. A successful counter-drone engagement loses value if it simultaneously degrades the communications network coordinating the defence effort.
Recent Leonidas demonstrations have highlighted software-defined controls and the ability to designate predefined safe areas, suggesting that system employment increasingly depends on careful spatial management rather than simple trigger activation. [Tectonic Defense]tectonicdefense.comTectonic Defense Exclusive: Epirus' Leonidas Downs Fiber-Optic DroneTectonic DefenseExclusive: Epirus' Leonidas Downs Fiber-Optic Drone…January 13, 2026 — 13 Jan 2026 — Leonidas is a vehicle-mounted hig…
How Compatibility Planning Protects Key Equipment
Exclusion zones alone are insufficient because modern military formations are densely interconnected. A defended site may contain radios, tactical data links, radar systems, electronic warfare equipment, autonomous vehicles and network infrastructure operating simultaneously.
Before a Leonidas deployment, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) planning becomes a critical requirement. EMC is the process of ensuring that electronic systems can operate together without causing unacceptable interference.
For Leonidas, compatibility planning generally focuses on three questions:
Which Systems Are Mission-Critical?
Not all electronics deserve the same level of protection. Commanders typically identify equipment whose failure would create disproportionate operational consequences.
Examples include:
- Battle-management networks.
- Air-defence command systems.
- Tactical communications hubs.
- Satellite communications terminals.
- Early-warning and surveillance sensors.
If any of these systems could be exposed during an engagement, additional restrictions may be imposed before authorising use.
Which Systems Have Been Tested?
Military procurement increasingly requires testing against electromagnetic interference and electromagnetic pulse effects. However, actual resilience varies significantly between platforms.
The safest employment model assumes that only equipment specifically evaluated for compatibility with nearby high-power microwave operations should remain active inside potential exposure areas. Systems that have not been tested may require relocation, shielding or temporary shutdown procedures before firing.
High-power microwave research and military hardening studies consistently emphasise that intentional electromagnetic interference can disrupt or damage vulnerable electronics, making advance compatibility assessment a central planning activity rather than an afterthought. [Mobility Engineering Technology+2ResearchGate]mobilityengineeringtech.comUnlike otherMobility Engineering TechnologyHardening Unmanned Aerial Systems Against High-Power…14 May 2022 — High power microwave weapons use int…
What Is the Electromagnetic Environment Today?
Compatibility assessments cannot be static.
A site that was safe during one deployment may become unsafe after:
- Additional radios are introduced.
- Friendly drones begin operating nearby.
- Mobile command vehicles arrive.
- New electronic warfare systems are activated.
As a result, Leonidas employment rules should require periodic electromagnetic reviews whenever the operating environment changes significantly.
Where Operator Discretion Fits Layered Defence
Even well-designed exclusion zones and compatibility plans cannot account for every battlefield condition. This is where operator discretion becomes essential.
Modern layered air defence combines multiple defensive tools, including surveillance sensors, electronic warfare systems, kinetic interceptors and directed-energy weapons. Leonidas is typically most useful as one layer within that broader architecture rather than as an independent solution. [DefenseScoop+2Epirus]defensescoop.comthat can kill drones by zappingArmy awards $66M contract to Epirus for microwave…January 23, 2023 — 23 Jan 2023 — The Leonidas system will support the Ar…
Because communications priorities can change rapidly, operators need authority to assess whether an engagement is worth the potential electromagnetic risk.
Situations that may justify withholding fire include:
- Friendly drones unexpectedly entering the engagement area.
- Critical communications traffic occurring through nearby equipment.
- Emergency command-and-control activities during a developing incident.
- Uncertainty about the location of sensitive electronic assets.
Conversely, operators may be authorised to accept greater risk when an incoming drone threat poses immediate danger to personnel or infrastructure.
The key governance principle is proportionality. Leonidas should not be treated as an automatic response whenever drones appear. Instead, operators should evaluate whether the expected operational benefit outweighs the possibility of disrupting friendly systems supporting the mission.
The Most Effective Rule: Integrate Communications Planning Before Engagement
The strongest safeguard against friendly-network disruption is early integration between air-defence planners and communications specialists.
Rather than treating communications protection as a technical issue addressed after deployment, organisations can require communications officers to participate in Leonidas mission planning from the outset. This allows engagement sectors, firing authorities, equipment placement and network priorities to be coordinated before a threat emerges.
Such planning reflects a broader lesson from directed-energy operations: the challenge is rarely generating enough electromagnetic power. The challenge is applying that power selectively enough that hostile electronics fail while friendly communications continue working. For a system designed to create area-wide electronic effects, exclusion zones, compatibility reviews and informed operator judgement are therefore not administrative details. They are the rules that keep Leonidas from backfiring.
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Further Reading
Books and field guides related to The Rules That Keep Leonidas From Backfiring. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.
Introduction to Electronic Warfare Modeling and Simulation
First published 2006. Subjects: Electronics in military engineering, Mathematical models, Computer simulation.
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Endnotes
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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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This chapter discusses aspects of the technology base and weapon...Read more...
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(PDF) Research on high power microwave weaponsThis article describes for high power microwave (abbreviation HPM) weapons research from it...
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Title: that can kill drones by zapping
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Army awards $66M contract to Epirus for microwave...January 23, 2023 — 23 Jan 2023 — The Leonidas system will support the Ar...
Published: January 23, 2023
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Title: Epirus Leonidas: High-Power Microwave for Counter-Electronics
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Epirus’ Leonidas High-Power Microwave Neutralizes 61-of-61 Drones Across 5 Flight Scenarios...
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This MICROWAVE Weapon Could END Russia’s War...
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Epirus' Leonidas Disables [Fiber-Optic]({{ 'fiber-drones/' | relative_url }}) UAS with High-Power Microwave Electromagnetic Interference...
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Energy Weapons: High Power MicrowavesDirected energy HPM provides the U.S. Navy many benefits including speed of light attack, deep magaz...
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Epirus Leonidas High-Power Microwave: Directed Energy...Leonidas is a solid-state, high-power HPM system, utilizing Gallium Nitride (GaN...
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Title: Tectonic Defense Exclusive: Epirus’ Leonidas Downs Fiber-Optic Drone
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Tectonic DefenseExclusive: Epirus' Leonidas Downs Fiber-Optic Drone...January 13, 2026 — 13 Jan 2026 — Leonidas is a vehicle-mounted hig...
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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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Epirus - NightDragon | Securing our world for tomorrow.Its flagship product, Leonidas, is a software-defined high-power microwave (HPM) s...
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g it a cost-effective solution compared to...Read more...
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Epirus LeonidasThe Leonidas is a high-power microwave (HPM) weapon developed to disable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) [swarms]({{ 'swarms/' | relative_url }}). It was n...
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Epirus' Leonidas: Smaller, Smarter, SaferEpirus was founded with this mission focus in mind — to develop the most powerful and precise di...
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EpirusEpirus's Leonidas HPM uses solid-state hardware with software-defined waveform optimization and AI-driven power management to drama...
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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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Title: Tom’s Hardware High-power microwave system downs 49 drones in [one shot]({{ ‘one-shot/’ | relative_url }})
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