Directed energy counter-swarm system under development for U.S. Marine Corps
NewsSeptember 24, 2024
LOS ANGELES, California. Epirus is developing the Leonidas Expeditionary high-power microwave (HPM) system under a $5.5 million contract from the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research (ONR), the company announced in a statement.
The system, known as Expeditionary Directed Energy Counter-Swarm (ExDECS), is being developed in partnership with ONR, the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab (MCWL), and the Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office (JCO), the statement reads. The ExDECS system is designed to enhance the U.S. Marine Corps’ Ground Based Air Defense Capabilities by integrating with the Common Aviation Command and Control System (CAC2S) and undergoing field experimentation and testing in various expeditionary scenarios.
ExDECS is a solid-state, software-defined, long-pulse HPM system intended to support Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO) and counter-unmanned systems missions, the company says. The system is designed for integration with Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) trailers.
Epirus is scheduled to deliver a completed ExDECS HPM system to the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab by the end of 2024, the statement adds.
