U.S. Marine Corps Awards $11M Contract for Microwave Drone Swarm Killer
The U.S. Marine Corps awarded an $11 million contract to Epirus for the HAVOC system, a vehicle-mounted high-power microwave weapon designed to autonomously destroy dozens of drones with a single electromagnetic pulse. Delivered through the Office of Naval Research, the production-ready system triples the power density of its predecessor, features improved ruggedness and range, and will integrate with Marine Corps ground vehicles via a universal sled mount. It complements existing counter-drone infrastructure like L-MADIS.
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Marine Corps awards $11M contract for production-ready microwave drone swarm killer
The U.S. Marine Corps has signed an $11 million contract with electronic warfare company Epirus for a vehicle-mounted High-power Microwave Autonomous Vehicle Operational Capability (HAVOC) system capable of taking down dozens of drones with a single electromagnetic pulse. The contract, awarded through the Office of Naval Research, will deliver the system early next year. HAVOC is a more powerful, ruggedized, and autonomous successor to the ExDECS prototype previously tested under a $5.5 million contract. Epirus CEO Andy Lowery stated the system triples power density, improves range and reliability, and is designed to defend critical points and mobile formations. The system will feature a universal sled mount for integration across Marine Corps vehicle fleets. The development parallels the Army's Leonidas counter-drone program, which has seen deployment to the Middle East and Pacific and demonstrated downing 49 drones in a single pulse.
Marine Corps to get ‘production-ready’ microwave drone swarm killer
The U.S. Marine Corps has signed an $11 million contract with Epirus for a vehicle-mounted High-power Microwave Autonomous Vehicle Operational Capability (HAVOC) system, designed to take down dozens of drones with a single electromagnetic pulse. The contract, awarded through the Office of Naval Research, will deliver the system early next year. HAVOC is a more powerful and ruggedized successor to the ExDECS prototype, with triple the power density, improved range, and autonomous targeting. Epirus CEO Andy Lowery noted the system is production-ready and incorporates lessons from Army testing, including monsoon exposure. The Marine Corps plans to integrate HAVOC into its expeditionary drone defense infrastructure, complementing systems like L-MADIS.
Marine Corps awards $11M contract for production-ready microwave drone swarm killer
The U.S. Marine Corps has awarded an $11 million contract to electronic warfare company Epirus for a vehicle-mounted high-power microwave weapon capable of destroying dozens of drones in a single electromagnetic pulse. The system, called HAVOC (High-power Microwave Autonomous Vehicle Operational Capability), will be delivered early next year through the Office of Naval Research. It features three times the power of the previous ExDECS prototype, improved ruggedness, and autonomous target identification. Epirus CEO Andy Lowery stated the system triples power density and significantly increases effective range, though specifics remain classified. The weapon uses gallium nitride transistors to deliver precise electromagnetic interference with minimal collateral damage. The contract follows earlier Army investments in Epirus' Leonidas counter-drone system, which successfully downed 49 drones in a single live-fire demonstration. The Marine Corps plans to integrate HAVOC into its existing expeditionary drone defense infrastructure, including the L-MADIS system.
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Marine Corps awards $11M contract for production-ready microwave drone swarm killer
The U.S. Marine Corps has signed an $11 million contract with Epirus for a vehicle-mounted High-power Microwave Autonomous Vehicle Operational Capability (HAVOC) system capable of taking down dozens of drones with a single electromagnetic pulse. The contract, awarded through the Office of Naval Research, will deliver the system early next year. HAVOC is a more powerful, ruggedized, and autonomous successor to the ExDECS prototype previously tested under a $5.5 million contract. Epirus CEO Andy Lowery stated the system has triple the power density, improved range, and enhanced weatherproofing based on lessons from Army deployments of the similar Leonidas system. The weapon uses gallium nitride transistors to deliver precise microwave energy beams with minimal collateral damage. HAVOC will feature a universal sled mount for integration across Marine Corps vehicle fleets and is intended to defend critical points and mobile formations against drone swarms.
Marine Corps awards $11M contract for production-ready microwave drone swarm killer
The U.S. Marine Corps has awarded an $11 million contract to Epirus for a vehicle-mounted High-power Microwave Autonomous Vehicle Operational Capability (HAVOC) system capable of destroying dozens of drones with a single electromagnetic pulse. The system, delivered through the Office of Naval Research, will have three times the power of the previous ExDECS prototype, improved ruggedness, range, and autonomous targeting capabilities. Epirus CEO Andy Lowery stated the system is designed to defend critical points and mobile formations with minimal collateral damage. The HAVOC will feature a universal sled mount for integration across Marine Corps vehicle fleets. The contract follows Army investments in Epirus' Leonidas system, which downed 49 drones in a single pulse during testing. Lessons from Army deployments, including monsoon exposure, informed HAVOC's ruggedization. The Marine Corps plans to integrate HAVOC into its existing expeditionary drone defense infrastructure like L-MADIS.
Marine Corps awards $11M contract for production-ready microwave drone swarm killer
The U.S. Marine Corps has awarded an $11 million contract to Epirus for a vehicle-mounted High-power Microwave Autonomous Vehicle Operational Capability (HAVOC) system capable of destroying dozens of drones with a single electromagnetic pulse. The contract, managed through the Office of Naval Research, will deliver a production-ready system early next year. HAVOC is an upgraded version of the earlier ExDECS prototype, offering three times the power, improved ruggedness, range, and autonomous targeting. Epirus CEO Andy Lowery noted the system uses gallium nitride transistors to generate precise microwave beams with minimal collateral damage. The system will mount on a universal sled for integration across Marine Corps ground vehicles. The award parallels the Army's $66 million deal with Epirus for the Leonidas counter-drone system, which has been tested in the Middle East and Pacific. Lessons from Army deployments, including monsoon exposure, informed HAVOC's ruggedization. The Marine Corps plans to integrate HAVOC into its existing expeditionary drone defense infrastructure like L-MADIS.
Marine Corps to get ‘production-ready’ microwave drone swarm killer
The U.S. Marine Corps has awarded an $11 million contract to Epirus for a vehicle-mounted high-power microwave weapon called HAVOC (High-power Microwave Autonomous Vehicle Operational Capability), designed to autonomously identify and destroy swarms of drones with an electromagnetic pulse. The system, to be delivered in early 2027, triples the power density of the earlier ExDECS prototype and features improved ruggedness, range, and autonomous targeting. Epirus CEO Andy Lowery noted the weapon provides a 'force field' effect with minimal collateral damage, suitable for defending critical points and mobile Marine expeditionary units. The contract follows successful Army testing of Epirus' Leonidas system, which downed 49 drones in a single pulse. HAVOC will integrate with Marine Corps ground vehicle fleets via a universal sled mount and complement existing counter-drone systems like L-MADIS.
Marine Corps to get ‘production-ready’ microwave drone swarm killer
The U.S. Marine Corps has signed an $11 million contract with Epirus for a vehicle-mounted High-power Microwave Autonomous Vehicle Operational Capability (HAVOC) system, designed to autonomously identify and destroy dozens of drones with a single electromagnetic pulse. The contract, awarded through the Office of Naval Research, will deliver the system early next year. HAVOC is an upgraded version of the ExDECS prototype, offering triple the power density, improved ruggedness, range, and autonomous capabilities. Epirus CEO Andy Lowery noted the system is optimized for defending critical points and mobile formations in expeditionary operations. The system will integrate with Marine Corps ground vehicle fleets via a universal sled mount. The development parallels Army efforts with Epirus' Leonidas system, which has been tested in the Middle East and Pacific and downed 49 drones in a single pulse. The Marine Corps plans to incorporate HAVOC into its existing L-MADIS drone defense infrastructure after rigorous testing.