A protection firm making high-powered microwave methods that soften drones introduced a brand new iteration of its product final week.
Developed by Eprius, the long-pulse, high-power microwave expertise often called Leonidas Expeditionary can drop swarms of drones with huge and pointed partitions of electromagnetic power.
Epirus has already delivered high-powered microwave methods to the Military as a part of a $66 million contract final yr.
It developed its newest Leonidas functionality in partnership with the Workplace of Naval Analysis, Joint Counter-Small UAS Workplace, the U.S. Marine Corps Warfighting Lab and the Joint Counter-small Unmanned Plane Methods Workplace (JCO).
The corporate unveiled the system on Sept. 23 and is anticipated to ship the finished system to the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab by the top of this yr.
To date there are 4 iterations of the Leonidas system together with the latest, which is formally often called the Expeditionary Directed Vitality Counter-Swarm, or ExDECS.
Earlier Leonidas choices have included methods that may be connected to autos or air drones.
Leonidas ExDECS is one other methods entry on the smaller aspect, able to “swarm defeat,” with a transportable profile that’s extremely cellular and gives a low bodily signature, in keeping with Andrew Wargofchik, a spokesperson for Epirus.
The crown jewel of the Epirus system, apart from its microwave system, is a expertise known as Line Replaceable Amplifier Module, or LRAM. It’s an structure that enables the corporate to scale methods up or down.
“We like to consider them as form of very scalable Lego blocks,” Wargofchik mentioned.
The announcement of the Leonidas Expeditionary comes on the heels of the Air & Area Forces Affiliation’s Air, Area & Cyber Convention, the place AI’s function within the protection business was the speak of the city.
However as the way forward for warfare arrives, Wargofchik mentioned Epirus doesn’t purchase into the idea that killer robots are on the horizon.
He famous tasks just like the Air Power’s Collaborative Fight Plane, or unmanned fighter jets, as a greater embodiment of what lies forward.
Half-man, half-AI is the protection panorama the corporate envisioned – manned methods current harmoniously alongside unmanned ones.
“Our CEO, Andy Lowery, likes to name it centaur warfare,” Wargofchik mentioned.
Whereas some within the business criticize the Protection Division for not adopting current and rising AI and machine studying applied sciences shortly sufficient, Epirus is extra optimistic.
One of many important challenges includes bridging the hole between analysis and improvement to mass manufacturing, Wargofchik mentioned.
Although the corporate started with the express aim of offering high-powered microwave methods for counter-drone missions, it’s increasing the event of the identical methods as a counter for any-and-all electronics.
In April, Epirus demonstrated its functionality to successfully take out sure vessel motors at sea throughout a Navy occasion.
“We’re type of arriving on the shores of a complete new seashore of maritime purposes,” Wargofchik mentioned.
Riley Ceder is an editorial fellow at Navy Instances, the place he covers breaking information, prison justice and human curiosity tales. He beforehand labored as an investigative practicum scholar at The Washington Publish, the place he contributed to the continuing Abused by the Badge investigation.
