US Marines deploy cutting-edge microwave tech against drones
The United States Marine Corps has received a new weapon to combat drones: the ExDECS microwave system from Epirus. Here, we explore what it is and how it functions.
According to the portal The Warzone, the United States Marine Corps has procured a state-of-the-art weapon for drone combat known as ExDECS. Unveiled at the Modern Day Marine conference in Washington, this system was developed by the company Epirus. ExDECS is a high-power microwave weapon designed to disrupt or destroy drone electronics using a beam of microwave radiation.
ExDECS, an advancement of the Leonidas system, has been delivered to the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Virginia, where it underwent acceptance testing. This system forms part of the PEGASUS programme, which aims to evaluate anti-drone systems. With ExDECS, the Marines will gain an advantage in neutralising electronic threats.
Additionally, ExDECS is mobile and can be integrated with lightweight tactical vehicles. Its primary function is to offer protection against drone swarms at a minimal cost, with the estimated expense of neutralising a drone being as little as 5 cents.
Microwave weapons — A competitor to lasers
Armed conflicts increasingly involve drones, and this isn't limited to state entities; non-state actors, as observed during the fighting in Syria that ended with the attempted overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, also rely heavily on drones. This poses new challenges for military forces globally, which urgently require cost-effective solutions to counter drone threats.
Using a missile costing hundreds of thousands of dollars against a drone worth merely a few thousand is not economically viable, prompting the development of various alternatives. Gun systems with programmable ammunition are currently gaining traction, reducing the cost of shooting down drones to a few thousand dollars. However, the ultimate solution lies in energy weapons.
Energy weapons are categorised into two groups: laser weapons and microwave weapons. While the latter may not penetrate armour like a high-power laser, it can inflict damage on the electronics within drones, leading to their incapacitation. This destructive effect results from high-frequency electromagnetic waves, which, upon being absorbed by an object, cause heating. Consequently, the electronics overheat or, in systems like ADS, people may experience thermal discomfort.
Although measures exist to protect electronics against such attacks, these solutions are both costly and challenging to implement. Furthermore, the microwave beam's broad span allows for the straightforward elimination of entire drone swarms.
