Epirus is a defence-tech startup based in Torrance, California, that manufactures high-power microwave weapons designed to down drone swarms. Its chief executive is Andy Lowery.
Unlike most microwave-weapon systems, which use variations of the magnetron technology found in microwave ovens, Epirus relies on bespoke microchips made with gallium nitride, a semiconductor material. When fed electrical energy, these chips produce microwave blasts with durations in the millisecond range, compared with the nanosecond range of magnetron emitters.
Epirus's main product is the Leonidas IFPC-HPM, the US Army's first weapon specifically designed to down a swarm of drones with a single shot. It is trailer-mounted and powered by a diesel generator. The army's initial contract for four systems, including services, exceeded $66m. A handful are deployed in the western Pacific and either in or near the Middle East. As of mid-2025 the weapon's range was several hundred metres; a new version due that summer would offer more than 1km and draw power from a roughly 300kg battery pack.
Epirus requested American government permission to export its technology to Ukraine but initially failed to obtain it. As of mid-2025, the Trump administration's thinking was said to have shifted in favour of granting such licences.
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