Within Microwaves
Why Wide Beams Matter Against Drone Swarms
A wider microwave beam can stress several small drones in one engagement, changing the defender's problem from single shots to area effects.
On this page
- The one to many engagement problem
- Beam shape, range, and target density
- Why wide effects complicate discrimination
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Introduction
High-power microwave (HPM) weapons are attractive against drone swarms because they can engage many targets within a volume of space rather than attacking one drone at a time. A swarm’s advantage comes from forcing defenders into dozens of near-simultaneous engagements. A sufficiently powerful microwave system changes that equation by projecting electromagnetic energy across a broader beam, allowing multiple drones to be exposed during the same firing sequence. Instead of concentrating on physically destroying airframes, the weapon targets the electronics that keep those airframes flying. The result is a rare example of a defensive system whose effectiveness can increase when targets are clustered together rather than spread apart. [Office of Naval Research]onr.navy.milOffice of Naval ResearchDirected Energy Weapons: High Power MicrowavesNavy DEWs include systems that use high-energy lasers (HEL) that em…
The One-to-Many Engagement Problem
Traditional air-defence systems often face an arithmetic challenge when confronting swarms. A missile, gun round or laser engagement is usually directed at a specific target. Even when highly effective, each engagement consumes time, tracking capacity, ammunition, energy or all three.
Microwave systems approach the problem differently. The goal is not necessarily to identify a unique vulnerable point on each drone. Instead, the weapon projects a field of intense radio-frequency energy into a defined area. Any drone whose electronics are sufficiently exposed within that area may experience disruption, malfunction or permanent damage. Because several aircraft can occupy the same beam volume simultaneously, a single engagement can affect multiple targets. Office of Naval Research+2The War Zone [onr.navy.mil]onr.navy.milOffice of Naval ResearchDirected Energy Weapons: High Power MicrowavesNavy DEWs include systems that use high-energy lasers (HEL) that em…
This is why counter-swarm developers frequently describe HPM systems as “one-to-many” weapons. Public descriptions of systems such as Leonidas emphasise the ability to engage entire groups of drones rather than individual aircraft, and recent demonstrations have highlighted defeats involving large numbers of drones in a single engagement sequence. [Wikipedia+2Epirus]WikipediaEpirus LeonidasEpirus Leonidas
Beam Shape, Range, and Target Density
The key mechanism is not simply power. It is the relationship between beam width, range and the density of targets within the illuminated space.
A microwave weapon operator can generally favour either:
- A narrower beam that concentrates energy on a smaller area.
- A wider beam that covers more airspace and potentially more drones.
A wider beam spreads energy over a larger region, reducing the intensity reaching any individual point. However, against a dense swarm this trade-off may be worthwhile because more targets are exposed at once. The defender is effectively exchanging maximum effect on one target for useful effects on many targets simultaneously. [Wikipedia]WikipediaEpirus LeonidasEpirus Leonidas
Target density matters enormously. If fifty drones are flying through a compact corridor, a broad microwave beam may expose most or all of them during a single engagement window. If the same drones are widely dispersed, the weapon may require multiple engagements or beam repositioning to achieve comparable results.
The geometry of the attack therefore becomes part of the weapon’s effectiveness. Swarms often gain strength through numbers, but clustering can also create vulnerability because many electronic systems occupy the same electromagnetic footprint. This is one reason military interest in HPM technology has focused heavily on swarm defence rather than solely on individual drone interception. [National Defense Magazine]nationaldefensemagazine.orgmarines looking to highpower microwave tech to counter drone swarmsNational Defense MagazineMarines Look to High-Power Microwaves to Counter Drone…Apr 30, 2025 — The Marine Corps is looking to high-pow…
What Happens Inside the Beam
The beam does not need to strike every electronic component directly.
Microwave energy can couple into:
- Antennas and receivers.
- Internal wiring.
- Power-management circuits.
- Flight-control electronics.
- Sensor and navigation systems.
Different drones may react differently even when exposed to the same pulse. One aircraft might lose control and crash immediately. Another could reboot, enter a failsafe mode or lose navigation accuracy. A third may suffer little effect because of orientation, shielding or component design. The beam’s strength lies in affecting many electronic systems simultaneously, not in guaranteeing an identical outcome for every target. [Office of Naval Research+2Epirus]onr.navy.milOffice of Naval ResearchDirected Energy Weapons: High Power MicrowavesNavy DEWs include systems that use high-energy lasers (HEL) that em…
Why Wide Effects Complicate Discrimination
The same characteristic that makes wide-beam microwave weapons attractive also creates operational challenges.
A laser can normally be pointed at a specific drone with minimal impact outside the beam path. A microwave field covering a larger volume raises more complex questions:
- Which drones are inside the affected area?
- Are friendly drones nearby?
- Are there sensitive communications or sensors within the beam?
- Is the swarm intermixed with non-hostile aircraft?
The broader the effect, the greater the need for careful control and targeting. Modern HPM developers increasingly emphasise software-defined beam management and directional antenna arrays because commanders want area effects without indiscriminate electronic disruption. Public descriptions of contemporary systems highlight the ability to shape, steer and control microwave energy rather than simply flooding the environment with radiation. [Epirus+2Epirus]epirusinc.comEpirusEpirus' Leonidas Demonstrates Successful Use of High-…Jan 13, 2026 — The Leonidas HPM platform defeats fiber-optic guided drones…
This discrimination challenge becomes especially important as airspace grows more crowded with friendly drones performing reconnaissance, logistics and communications tasks. A weapon designed to affect many electronics at once must distinguish between desirable and undesirable targets more carefully than a purely point-target system.
What Recent Demonstrations Suggest
Public demonstrations have increasingly focused on the swarm-defeat mechanism itself rather than individual drone kills. In September 2025, Epirus reported a live-fire event in which its Leonidas HPM system neutralised multiple drone formations and culminated in a reported 49-drone swarm defeat from a single electromagnetic engagement. While such demonstrations occur under controlled conditions and do not automatically predict battlefield performance, they illustrate the central concept behind wide-beam microwave defence: one emission can affect numerous aircraft occupying the same defended volume. [Epirus+2Unmanned Airspace]epirusinc.comEpirusEpirus' Leonidas High-Power Microwave Defeats 49-Drone…10 Sept 2025 — Leonidas neutralized 61-of-61 drones, culminating in a 49…
Military interest reflects the same logic. Defence organisations evaluating HPM technology routinely describe requirements for low-cost, rapid engagements against multiple simultaneous targets rather than sequential one-on-one intercepts. The appeal is less about destroying a single drone spectacularly and more about restoring favourable defensive economics when dozens of inexpensive aircraft appear at once. [DefenseScoop]defensescoop.comepirus navy hpm microwave antx coastal tridentNavy to test Epirus high-power microwave's ability to zap…4 Apr 2024 — The development effort “will provide capability wit…
Why Wide Beams Matter Against Drone Swarms
The defining advantage of a microwave counter-swarm weapon is that the beam can turn target density into a weakness. Swarms are designed to overwhelm defences by presenting too many threats at the same time. A wide-area microwave effect attacks that assumption by exposing multiple drones to the same burst of energy. As long as sufficient field strength reaches the targets, the defender no longer needs a separate engagement for every aircraft. That shift—from one target per shot to many targets per engagement—is the mechanism that makes high-power microwaves uniquely attractive for defending against dense groups of small drones. [Office of Naval Research+2Wikipedia]onr.navy.milOffice of Naval ResearchDirected Energy Weapons: High Power MicrowavesNavy DEWs include systems that use high-energy lasers (HEL) that em…
Amazon book picks
Further Reading
Books and field guides related to Why Wide Beams Matter Against Drone Swarms. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.
Introduction to UAV Systems
Explains drone density, operations, and deployment patterns.
Electronic Warfare in the Information Age
First published 1999. Subjects: Electronics in military engineering, Information warfare.
Introduction to Directed Energy Weapons
Covers beam effects and directed-energy engagement concepts.
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Endnotes
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: Epirus Leonidas
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epirus_Leonidas -
Source: defensescoop.com
Title: epirus navy hpm microwave antx coastal trident
Link: https://defensescoop.com/2024/04/04/epirus-navy-hpm-microwave-antx-coastal-trident/Source snippet
Navy to test Epirus high-power microwave's ability to zap...4 Apr 2024 — The development effort “will provide capability wit...
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Source: Wikipedia
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OfficeSource snippet
OfficeAn office is a space where the members of an organization perform administrative work in order to support and realize the variou...
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Source: defensescoop.com
Title: marines microwave weapon hpm epirus leonidas [expeditionary]({{ ‘marine-variant/’ | relative_url }})
Link: https://defensescoop.com/2024/09/23/marines-microwave-weapon-hpm-epirus-leonidas-expeditionary/Source snippet
Marines to get new drone-killing microwave weapon...Sep 23, 2024 — Epirus' new solid-state, long-pulse system is derived from the compan...
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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 MicrowavesNavy DEWs include systems that use high-energy lasers (HEL) that em...
-
Source: twz.com
Title: marines get their first high power microwave weapon for taking on drone swarms
Link: https://www.twz.com/land/marines-get-their-first-high-power-microwave-weapon-for-taking-on-drone-swarmsSource snippet
The War ZoneMarines Get Their First High Power Microwave Weapon...Apr 29, 2025 — Specifically, HPM weapons use high-frequency radio wave...
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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 neutralized 61-of-61 drones, culminating in a 49...
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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' Leonidas defeats 49-drone swarm with one elect...
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Source: nationaldefensemagazine.org
Title: marines looking to highpower microwave tech to [counter drone]({{ ‘missile-savings/’ | relative_url }}) swarms
Link: https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2025/4/30/marines-looking-to-highpower-microwave-tech-to-counter-drone-swarmsSource snippet
National Defense MagazineMarines Look to High-Power Microwaves to Counter Drone...Apr 30, 2025 — The Marine Corps is looking to high-pow...
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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-optic-controlled-uasSource snippet
EpirusEpirus' Leonidas Demonstrates Successful Use of High-...Jan 13, 2026 — The Leonidas HPM platform defeats fiber-optic guided drones...
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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: 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: 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: dictionary.cambridge.org
Link: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/highSource snippet
English meaning - Cambridge Dictionaryhigh noun (HAPPY PERIOD)... a period of extreme excitement or happiness, when you feel full of e...
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Source: dictionary.cambridge.org
Link: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/officeSource snippet
English meaning - Cambridge Dictionarya room or part of a building in which people work, especially sitting at tables with computers, p...
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Source: wordpress-1555235-6025816.cloudwaysapps.com
Title: epirus leonidas system downs 49 drones in swarm test
Link: https://wordpress-1555235-6025816.cloudwaysapps.com/content/epirus-leonidas-system-downs-49-drones-in-swarm-test/Source snippet
Leonidas system downs 49 drones in swarm testThe system uses directed energy in the form of high-power microwaves to disable or damage on...
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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: defence-blog.com
Title: epirus confirms leonidas microwave system integration with dft platform
Link: https://defence-blog.com/epirus-confirms-leonidas-microwave-system-integration-with-dft-platform/Source snippet
Epirus confirms Leonidas microwave system integration...25 Feb 2026 — The combined system links autonomous detection and tracking with n...
Additional References
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Source: merriam-webster.com
Link: https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/highSource snippet
HIGH Synonyms: 529 Similar and Opposite WordsSynonyms for HIGH: tall, towering, lofty, dominant, altitudinous, prominent, eminent, elevat...
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Source: merriam-webster.com
Link: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/officeSource snippet
OFFICE Definition & Meaning5 days ago — The meaning of OFFICE is a place where a particular kind of business is transacted or a service i...
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Source: merriam-webster.com
Link: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/high -
Source: electronics360.globalspec.com
Link: https://electronics360.globalspec.com/article/23569/us-reveals-new-self-driving-microwave-weapon-capable-of-taking-down-entire-drone-swarmsSource snippet
reveals new self-driving microwave weapon capable of...Apr 27, 2026 — The Leonidas Autonomous Ground Vehicle (AGV) is a self-driving cou...
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Source: collinsdictionary.com
Link: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/highSource snippet
of more than normal height; lofty; tall [not used of persons] · 2. extending upward a (specified) distance · 3. situated far above...Rea...
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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: tectonicdefense.com
Title: exclusive epirus leonidas downs fiber optic drone during tests
Link: https://www.tectonicdefense.com/exclusive-epirus-leonidas-downs-fiber-optic-drone-during-tests/Source snippet
Exclusive: Epirus' Leonidas Downs Fiber-Optic Drone...13 Jan 2026 — Instead of jamming, shooting, or hijacking drones, Leonidas pretty m...
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Title: leonidas high power microwave hpm system usa
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Leonidas High-Power Microwave System, USAug 9, 2024 — Leonidas is a high-power microwave (HPM) technology-based directed energy weapon sy...
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an disable drones, missiles, aircraft electronics—even...Read more...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/TankPorn/comments/1h3dyft/[strykerSource snippet
he electronics of an entire drone swarm in SHORAD distance...
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