On Tuesday, April 29, the U.S. company Epirus announced that it had completed the delivery of the first prototype of the new ExDECS microwave-based counter-drone system to the Dahlgren Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, with the final recipient being the U.S. Marine Corps. According to the reports, this is a new weapon system developed from the company’s expeditionary Leonidas system, providing an effective solution that uses high-power microwave energy to neutralize enemy threats.
Expanding on some details, it is worth noting that the new ExDECS system was requested as part of a contract outlined by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) of the U.S. Navy. In September 2024, the contract was expanded to allow Epirus to proceed with Factory Acceptance Testing of the prototype. After successfully passing that stage, the system was sent to the Dahlgren Division (earlier this year), where it passed Government Acceptance Testing under the Pre-Employment Ground-Based Anti-UAS Swarm System (PEGASUS) program.
Regarding the limited technical specifications disclosed, the company stated that ExDECS is designed for integration with various land-based platforms to provide the mobility required by expeditionary USMC units, including light tactical vehicles and trailers. No specific information was provided about its range; however, considering the use of high-power microwave energy as a means to disable enemy drones, it can be inferred that this is a short-range system intended for point defense of potential high-value targets.
It is also important to highlight that the ExDECS system belongs to the broader category of directed energy systems developed by major global powers. This category includes laser-based weapons such as the U.S. HELIOS and the British DragonFire, all of which offer the ability to neutralize threats without resorting to costly kinetic solutions (Epirus estimates a cost of just 5 cents per drone neutralized with its system). However, microwave-based systems differ from laser weapons in their ability to disable multiple targets simultaneously, making ExDECS a more effective option for countering hostile drone swarms without compromising the ability to intercept missiles or conventional aircraft.
Addressing these aspects, Epirus CEO Andy Lowery stated: “Drone warfare is rapidly transforming combat. Systems like ExDECS give Marines a decisive edge by neutralizing multiple electronic threats at once with a single system—what we call one-to-many capability. This delivery marks a crucial step toward deploying non-kinetic counter-swarm solutions that enhance the mobility, survivability, and lethality of our Marine forces.”
*Image credits: Epirus
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