Leonidas
High-power microwave directed energy system capable of defeating drone swarms through electromagnetic pulse.
System Overview
What It Is
Leonidas is a revolutionary high-power microwave (HPM) directed energy weapon system capable of defeating drone swarms by disabling their electronics with electromagnetic pulses.
How It Works
The system generates focused high-power microwave beams that overwhelm and damage electronic components in target drones. Unlike lasers that engage one target at a time, HPM can cover a wide area to defeat multiple drones simultaneously.
Primary Capability
Directed energy defeat of multiple UAS simultaneously using high-power microwave emissions to disable electronics.
Combat Record / Operational History
Delivered to US Army under $66.1 million contract in 2023. Undergoing operational testing and experimentation.
Procurement Intelligence
U.S. Army IFPC-HPM; material release 2025; defeats fiber-optic drones
Overview
Leonidas represents a breakthrough in counter-UAS technology, offering the first operational capability to defeat drone swarms that would overwhelm traditional kinetic defenses.
Technology Innovation
Unlike conventional kinetic or even laser systems that engage one target at a time, Leonidas high-power microwave technology can cover a wide area, making it uniquely suited for counter-swarm operations.
Operational Significance
As adversaries increasingly deploy coordinated drone swarms, Leonidas provides a solution that scales to the threat without the ammunition limitations of kinetic systems or the single-target constraint of lasers.
Army Integration
Procured under the Indirect Fire Protection Capability-High Power Microwave (IFPC-HPM) program, Leonidas is being integrated into the Army layered air defense architecture.
Technical Specifications
- Solid-state HPM technology
- Software-defined beam forming
- Wide-area coverage
- Counter-swarm capability
- Rapid retargeting
- Low cost per engagement
Range
Classified (hundreds of meters)
Compatible Platforms
Deployed By
Key Features
- Counter-swarm capability
- Near-unlimited magazine
- Speed-of-light engagement
- Effective against autonomous drones
- Software-defined operation
Advantages
- Defeats drone swarms
- Very low cost per shot
- Works against autonomous threats
- Rapid engagement cycle
Limitations
- Classified range limitations
- Power requirements
- Potential collateral effects on friendly electronics
- Atmospheric effects