Insane new anti-drone system zaps UAVs out of the sky with targeted microwaves

In July 2019, multiple drones were reportedly used to swarm Navy destroyers off the coast of California. The mysterious drones, around six in total, appeared over the course of several nights, flashing lights and performing “brazen maneuvers” close to the warships. They flew at speeds of 16 knots, and stayed aloft for upward of 90 minutes, longer than commercially available drones.

It’s not known where they originated from. News of the incident was only made public in March 2021, following a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from The Drive, which rested in the disclosure of deck logs from the ships involved in the incident.

Troublesome drones are not a new phenomenon. In one highly publicized incident a couple of years ago, unauthorized drones were spotted near London’s Gatwick Airport, a major hub that approximately 60,000 people fly out of each day during normal, non-COVID times. Concerned about the possibility of a drone colliding with an aircraft, authorities made the call to ground all aircraft for 36 hours, affecting 1,000 flights and costing an estimated $70 million.Epirus

According to Leigh Madden, CEO of Los Angeles-based startup Epirus, drones are fast becoming a “staple of 21st-century warfare.” U.S. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, who heads up the nation’s Central Command, has branded them the “most concerning tactical development” since the widespread rise of IEDs, or improvised explosive devices. As with IEDs, the use of drones represents an example of asymmetric warfare, in which smaller, less well-equipped insurgents can challenge much larger powers. Like a couple of drones shutting down an international airport. Or several drones striking fear into the crew of a 510-foot Navy destroyer.

Anti-drone energy weapons

To address this growing problem, Epirus, which builds modern defense systems to address 21st-century threats, has created Leonidas, a portable, powerful microwave energy weapon that can be used to disable a swarm of drones simultaneously or knock out individual drones within a group with extremely high precision. It works by overloading the electronics on board a drone, causing it to instantly fall out of the sky. It is referred to as a Counter-UAS — or Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems — tool.

“Leonidas is a first-of-its-kind Counter-UAS system that uses solid-state, software-defined high-power microwave (HPM) to disable electronic targets, delivering unparalleled control and safety to operators,” Madden told Digital Trends. “Digital beamforming capabilities enable pinpoint accuracy so that operators can disable enemy threats, [without disrupting anything] else. Leonidas utilizes solid-state Gallium Nitride power amplifiers to give the system deep magazines and rapid firing rates, while dramatically...

Read More HERE