Meet the drone slayer
The cannon fires microwaves to take down swarms of attack UAVs
The growing use of drones in combat has been described as the most concerning tactical development since improvised explosive devices (IEDs) became prevalent in Iraq. Small and inexpensive unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are already used for surveillance, disruption of airspace and dropping small explosives, but in the near future swarms of robot vehicles could become even more dangerous – both on the battlefield and around civilian spaces like airports or sports grounds.
To address the issue, military researchers and arms manufacturers are developing directed energy weapons with the power to disable drones using lasers, particle beams, radio frequency waves and more. One of the latest is called Leonidas, created by US start-up Epirus. It uses high-powered microwaves (HPM) to overwhelm drones’ onboard electronics.
The system uses gallium nitride semiconductors to produce extreme levels of power density while firing the HPM. Operators can narrow the beam to target individual drones, or take down multiple threats across a wider field. Epirus staged a demonstration event for government officials earlier this year and the device disabled all 66 drones sent to swarm around it.
“Our state-of-the-art digital beam-forming capabilities allows operators to safely direct the HPM beam on target to disable enemy threats and nothing else,” says CEO of Epirus Leigh Madden. “These capabilities were on full display at a recent customer event where Leonidas executed multiple precision strikes, disabling an enemy target and leaving a blue force drone untouched.”
Unlike some directed energy weapons, Leonidas is small enough to mount on a truck or boat, and its rapid-fire capabilities make it practical on kinetic battlefields. Epirus is also in the late stages of development for even more compact and portable systems, and the technology could eventually lead to some kind of microwave gun.
Anti-drone weapons may also be required beyond the battlefield. As UAVs become cheaper and more prevalent, so too does their potential for harm in civilian spaces. In December 2018, London’s Gatwick Airport closed for two days after mysterious (and never-found) drones were reported in the skies around the runways. Fearing a collision could take down a passenger aircraft, the military was deployed and more than 1,000 flights were cancelled.
Other identified threats include recreational drones flying too close to rescue helicopters, attacks in civilian spaces, reconnaissance of nuclear sites, invasion of privacy and even as a distraction to aid criminals.
Madden says that while Epirus is currently focused on work with the US Department of Defense, it is also in discussions to “bring new products to market and support additional use cases across industries.”
“OPERATORS SAFELY DIRECT THE HPM BEAM ON TARGET TO DISABLE ENEMY THREATS AND NOTHING ELSE”