US Marine Corps awards $11M contract to Epirus for HAVOC microwave drone-killer system

Published Aug 10, 12:59 PM UTC

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.