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

Published Aug 10, 12:59 PM UTC

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.