In a groundbreaking demonstration that has sent shockwaves through the global defense community, the United States Army showcased the immense power of the Epirus Leonidas electromagnetic weapon system on August 28, 2025. Held at the Indiana National Guard’s Camp Atterbury base, this high-stakes test involved a massive swarm of 49 quadcopter drones being neutralized in mere seconds, highlighting a revolutionary leap in counter-drone technology. Developed by the innovative California-based company Epirus, the Leonidas system harnesses high-power electromagnetic waves to disrupt and disable the electronic systems of multiple aerial threats simultaneously. This event wasn’t just a routine exercise; it unfolded in front of a distinguished audience, including top U.S. military brass, international delegations, and prominent journalists such as Mike and Colin Demarest from Axios Future of Defense. As the drones plummeted uncontrollably into an adjacent field, losing all command over their flight controls and onboard electronics, it became crystal clear that Leonidas represents a paradigm shift in how modern militaries can tackle the growing menace of drone swarms.
The backdrop for this impressive display is the escalating concern over drone warfare, which has evolved into one of the most pressing security challenges of our time. Drone swarms—coordinated groups of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)—pose a unique threat because they can saturate traditional defense mechanisms, overwhelming radar systems, anti-aircraft guns, and even missile interceptors. These swarms aren’t limited to military battlefields; they could target civilian infrastructure like power plants, airports, or urban centers, potentially causing widespread disruption or chaos. In recent years, we’ve seen real-world examples of such tactics in conflicts around the globe, from the Middle East to Eastern Europe, where low-cost drones have been deployed en masse to bypass expensive kinetic defenses. The U.S. military, recognizing this vulnerability, has been aggressively pursuing non-kinetic solutions—technologies that don’t rely on physical projectiles but instead use energy-based methods to neutralize threats. The Leonidas test at Camp Atterbury serves as a vivid proof-of-concept, demonstrating how electromagnetic pulses can provide a cost-effective, scalable alternative to conventional weaponry.
At its core, the Leonidas system leverages directed energy technology, specifically high-power microwaves (HPM), to achieve its effects. Unlike traditional jamming techniques, which merely interfere with radio signals and are ineffective against autonomous drones or those connected via secure, non-wireless links like fiber optics, Leonidas goes a step further. It emits focused bursts of microwave energy that penetrate the drones’ exteriors, frying their internal circuits, processors, and sensors without the need for pinpoint accuracy. This area-effect capability allows it to engulf an entire swarm in a single emission, making it far more efficient than laser-based systems, which must lock onto and destroy each target individually—a process that becomes impractical against dozens or hundreds of fast-moving drones. Moreover, the economic advantages are staggering: while kinetic interceptors like missiles can cost tens of thousands of dollars per shot, directed energy systems like Leonidas operate on electricity, drastically reducing per-engagement expenses and enabling sustained operations in prolonged conflicts.
Epirus has engineered the Leonidas family with versatility in mind, offering multiple variants to suit diverse operational scenarios. The baseline Leonidas model is a stationary setup, ideal for protecting fixed installations such as military bases, command centers, or critical infrastructure sites from aerial incursions. For forces on the move, the Leonidas Mobile variant integrates seamlessly onto tactical vehicles, providing mobile units with on-the-go protection against drone threats during maneuvers or convoys. Taking innovation to new heights—literally—the Leonidas Pod is a compact, lightweight version optimized for airborne platforms, incorporating advanced long-pulse microwave tech that can be mounted on helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, or even unmanned aerial systems themselves. This modular design not only enhances its adaptability but also played a key role in Epirus securing a contract under the U.S. Army’s Indirect Fire Protection Capability-High-Power Microwave (IFPC-HPM) program. This initiative is part of a broader push to modernize electronic warfare capabilities, ensuring that American forces remain ahead in the electromagnetic spectrum—a domain increasingly contested in hybrid warfare environments.
This isn’t an isolated effort; the U.S. military is exploring a suite of complementary high-power microwave technologies to build layered defenses. For instance, during the multinational Exercise Balikatan 2025 in the Philippines, the Army debuted its IFPC-HPM system in the Indo-Pacific theater for the first time. Collaborating with the Philippine Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps units under the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force, the exercise tested the system’s performance in challenging tropical conditions, where humidity, foliage, and weather can complicate electronic warfare operations. Integrated with the Fixed Site-Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aerial System Integrated Defeat System (FS-LIDS), which handles detection, tracking, and identification of threats, the IFPC-HPM proved adept at disabling swarms once targets were acquired. This combination creates a comprehensive, non-lethal defense ecosystem that minimizes collateral damage while maximizing effectiveness against low-altitude, slow-moving UAVs—often the hardest to detect with traditional radar.
Ongoing evaluations of these tests are being conducted by the U.S. Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO), the entity responsible for accelerating the development, prototyping, and fielding of cutting-edge directed energy weapons. Their assessments will inform future enhancements, focusing on improving range, power efficiency, and integration with existing command-and-control networks. The goal is to equip ground forces with tools that can reliably counter not just today’s drone threats but also the more sophisticated autonomous swarms anticipated in tomorrow’s battlespaces. Challenges persist, such as the current limitations in effective range compared to laser alternatives, which can engage targets at greater distances. However, the ability to neutralize multiple drones in one fell swoop addresses a critical gap, making electromagnetic systems like Leonidas indispensable for protecting troops, assets, and allies in high-threat environments.
Epirus, founded in 2018, has rapidly established itself as a key player in this field, collaborating closely with branches of the U.S. military including the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. Prior demonstrations of Leonidas have taken place in diverse locales, from the arid deserts of the Middle East to the humid islands of the Philippines, proving its robustness across varied terrains and climates. The company’s CEO, Andy Lowery—a veteran U.S. Navy officer—has been vocal about the transformative impact of drones on modern warfare. He describes them as inaugurating a “sixth domain” of conflict, alongside the traditional arenas of land, sea, air, space, and cyber. In this view, drones aren’t just tools; they’re force multipliers that democratize aerial power, allowing even non-state actors to challenge superpowers. Countering them requires innovative, dedicated technologies that evolve as quickly as the threats themselves.
The successes at Camp Atterbury and during Balikatan 2025 underscore the pivotal role that electromagnetic weapons are poised to play in reshaping air defense strategies worldwide. As nations grapple with the proliferation of affordable UAVs, systems like Leonidas offer a glimpse into a future where energy-based defenses become the norm, providing rapid, reusable, and resilient protection against asymmetric threats. While technical hurdles remain—such as scaling power sources and mitigating environmental interference—these demonstrations affirm that directed energy is no longer science fiction but a tangible reality in the arsenal of tomorrow’s warfighters. As global tensions rise and drone technology advances, investments in such capabilities will likely accelerate, ensuring that the U.S. and its partners maintain superiority in an increasingly crowded and contested skies.
