High Power Microwave Weapons
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- Don’t miss our newsletter! www.themerge.co/
Mike hosts Andy Lowery to dig deep into directed energy weapons-specifically high-power microwave (HPM) systems.
Andy is the CEO of Epirus, a venture-backed defense tech startup inverting the cost equation of drone defense and swarm protection.
We talk about the tech, how it affects electronics, and how Epirus’ flagship product-Leonidas-is designed with adaptability and scale in mind. Turns out that HPM systems share more in common with an F-35 radar and an EA-18 jammer than a kitchen appliance!
The Army is currently in a rapid buy-and-try phase of these counter-UAS (CUAS) systems and is sending them to the Middle East. The systems have a host of other applications, though-the Navy is experimenting with them to disable boat motors, and the Air Force is also interested.
This episode is a defense tech episode you don’t want to miss!
For those interested in #military #nationaldefense #warfare #nationalsecurity #defense #nationaldefense #tech #technology #defensetech #army #navy #airforce #drone #drones #swarm #HPM #DEW #microwave #directedenergy
Links
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• Mike Benitez (LinkedIn) / mike-benitez
• Andy Lowery (LinkedIn) / andylowery
• Epirus www.epirusinc.com
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Show Notes
(00:47) Intro
(01:36) Epirus
(02:11) the “prime problem”
(02:43) 3 disruptions in modern warfare
(07:07) asymmetric advantage and cost imposition
(09:57) inverting the equation
(11:40) $1 billion in weapons
(11:59) Congressional hearing
(12:32) microwaves
(14:53) name origins
(17:04) serial killer vs mass murderer
(17:46) Star Trek
(18:26) Leonidas
(18:46) wicked fast tech development
(19:42) speed of technology
(20:19) inventory investment
(20:29) needs vs requirements
(22:02) Andy’s 3 careers
(29:19) product vs services
(24:32) 80/20 business model
(25:08) Thor HPM
(25:25) old school HPM
(26:03) new way of HPM
(26:20) like the next-gen jammer
(27:06) like an AESA radar
(27:32) GaN-based AESA
(30:09) designed to adapt
(31:02) how HPM actually works
(34:07) like radar jamming techniques
(35:13) UA-cam video controversy
(35:58) copper tape vs HPM myth
(37:20) faraday cage concept
(38:41) copper tape studies
(40:10) a systems approach
(41:32) ballistic missile defense (BMD)
(41:57) Army IFPC program
(43:26) Army base defense charter
(43:50) SHORAD
(44:21) scenarios
(44:48) layers of SHORAD
(45:49) Anduril Industries
(46:12) layered defense problem
(46:41) GWOT killed SHORAD
(47:08) Syria and Jordan
(47:58) company culture
(49:33) government pain points
(49:59) export restrictions
(50:35) the “MRAP response” way
(51:26) 1990 policy blocker
(51:56) The FAA
(52:03) NOARD issue
(52:33) homeland defense issue
(53:45) pre-mortem
(54:43) team-of-teams approach
(56:43) the government’s budgeting problem
(58:55) boats!
(1:00:00) HPM vs other electronics
(1:02:18) airborne HPM?
(1:04:06) Epirus, the next few years
(1:06:04) factory and scale
(1:08:37) outro
*The ongoing mass arson, most recently in southern California, is recognizable as military high tech. Are you involved in that?*
So I hate to put something so important as life and death through human violence in purely material terms but the reality is people need to remember not Sun Tzu but von Clausewitz. I remember during my whopping one semester of ROTC before I was unable to continue learning the MOSS-MOUSE acronym and being struck how all those letter stood for something important, but the E, "Economy of Force" seemed more important than the others. Turns out MOSS-MOUSE is based on von Clausewitz and what von Clausewitz wrote (aside from the famous "war is a continuation of politics by other means") was that the goal of any military strategy is economy of force, and all the other MOSS-MOUS letters (such as surprise and security) he wrote about were a means to that end. The reality is that to some degree every war is a war of attrition, especially in a post industrial world and victory or defeat is largely a function of the resources available to each side (which is a highly complex function of politics and geography) and how efficiently they apply those resources to wearing down the capabilities of the other side. There's a lot more to it than that because war really is a continuation of politics by other means but material victory or defeat is basically resources available multiplied by the efficiency factor and directed energy weapons are pretty efficient.
You don't know, what you don't know, until you realize you didn't know it. Prove this tech works and that the enemy can't counter it.
Makes complete sense to me, thanks for sharing
You know it’s level headed and rational when there’s so few likes 😂 my stupid funny posts get thousands of likes, any smart insightful comments that I actually have knowledge on get just a handful of likes, never more than 10.. that’s humans
@@616CC ditto. I get that on social media too, especially Reddit and here on YT. Sometimes i wonder if it's just teenagers and wo/man childs reading my factual comments.
Spot on.
“This is the way.” Great video. This innovation has always been our advantage.
The death Ray weapons as conceived by Nichola Tesla in the late 1800’s and instituted by DARPA, you don’t know what you don’t know. The U.S. military industrial complex mastered this technology decades ago the big question is how often do they turn this technology loose on unsuspecting people.
Ask members of tbe Iraqi Army from Desert Storm
Never on People just registered Persons, hence legally not People are killed as they are already legally dead entities.
Or maybe even ask Americans... maybe even U.S. citizens..
Outstanding! Ward Carroll recommends this channel and I'm glad that I tuned in. This was quite interesting material - especially for this former Navy Hospital Corpsman/retired civvy Paramedic. Great job! My thanks go out to both of you.
❤❤
Also yes it's true that Faraday caging the electronics provides a degree of resistance to electromagnetic attacks and there are ways to penetrate it but you may be un-surprised to learn it quickly turns into an arms race like anything else between EM attacks and EM defenses. A well designed defense will protect against even well designed EM attack but will both increase the cost of the drone and degrade its capabilities.
Also it's like stealth where it's highly sensitive to the geometry so you can't just slap some copper tape on a COTS drone and expect it to work against even a simple broad-band microwave attack.
All you do is copper mesh between the tower and the electronics!
Unless it's self-guided A.I., theres no way for you to contact your own drone/device. It may just be a remote monitor or jammer. It comes down to S/N : signal to noise ratio. Overpowering the airwaves/aether with EM freq/waves at proper freq and power density. All of this has been known for decades and is frequently used to improve comercial/military devices/tech.
Certainly is an Unending Arms Race, but a Populist version where you don't need the Winning Lottery ticket to play.
Are the Aristocrat Neo-Cons ever gonna be whizzed!
My HPM can cooked burritos in less than half the time than listed on the microwaving directions. Thermador should really get into the DEW game.
Funny operation Pandora said microwaves mess with a humans perception of time and their productivity.
Another excellent interview and discussion. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
@@TheMergeMedia Do you believe that it was a good idea to share this information publicly?
From my experience flying cell towers for audits and inspections, I can tell you that for sure you do not want to fly directly in front of any microwave dishes that might be on the tower 😫
Fried In-Flight
We need this right away. I love it!
Really great guest, and incredible technology! This makes me feel really hopeful about our future capabilities. Another excellent episode guys! Thanks Mike and The Merge team!
❤❤
I'll be waiting and watching for Epirus to go public. It sounds like a good investment. Great interview.
you can always guarantee the MIC will over charge the taxpayer for ineffective garbage.
this is how the LA fires were executed.
Its why wood brick and glue houses without nails didnt burn. Its why there are Palms on the streets but the houses are gone
I typed my comment then read yours after posting mine. I AM A SEER! PSYCHIC REMOTE VIEWER. THEY USED HAARP IN HAWAII, ASHEVILLE NC, AND NOW LOS ANGELOS! BLACKROCK INVESTORS CLAIMED MINERAL RIGHT JUST MONTHS BEFORE THE TERRIBLE NOT NATURAL STORMS AND NOW FIRES! ALL PRIME PROPERTIES! NONE OF THESE ARE COINCIDANCE!
AGENDA 21
AGENDA 21
AGENDA 21
exactly! thank you for speaking the truth. (dont forget fires in Paradise CA, Maui / Lahaina,... Chile, ...Texas, ...Canada, etc). Have you seen the channel brush junkie? good info on this topic you mentioned.
NO, microwave heat iron and water, soo plants shoud bee cooked if microwaves are deployd. No living thing can survive that.
@@yugogen8811 put a mixture into your microwave and set the spin setting off.
Microwaves unevenly heat food because they are more attracted to things like fats than sugars and sugars more than fibers and proteins.
Because there was more metals hammered into the housing walls, they absorbed most of the heat.
>You would literally learn this in a food science class in highschool.
@@yugogen8811 a decent percentage of trees are being cooked and dying but they often do not burn. or if there is burning, it is from the inside out.
Great video. Our problem in the US is that our government has opened the door to many potential players who could deploy drones and other means to destroy our bases. Imagine. Bad actors launching drones at our bases. The B-2 fleet would be decimated.
well if there are on the ground yea, but drones arent flying above 100k ft any time soon.
but these systems wont be used on just drones. never were... considering whats already in place besides this... they are allowing the drones and wars to take place. and its so compartmentalism that they dont know its already capable.
but this deployable can reach areas that jam current long distance dew weapons.
i admire his effort to try and keep it harmless to humans... but he wont be in control of this while its in use. and i cant be sure these arrays arent being hacked for aome of these earth quakes or havanna syndrome.
tech deployed with little or no research on how these effects humans. its largely ignored or considered ok.
Wiuld younplace Sean Penn and Charlie Sheen in the "Bad Actor" regime?
Boomer fantasy be like:
Awesome...! Best heard/seen to date. I must admit - I get nervous hearing the topics and discussion points in this medium. You know who is listenting.., and getting so much smarter..
Isn't direct energy what caused the fires on Hawaii ?? For some reason all comments are gone after someone start showing some videos and this ppl seems to be very eager to go full blown on this it needs to be investigated and show to the public what are the pros and cons about it
finally, someone said something about that disturbing reality
thank you for speaking the truth. Automotive glass takes 2,551 degrees to melt, but hedges and trees are mostly untouched? impossible unless it was an energy weapon, most likely a plasma collimated microwave beam. people need to realize the truth and plan and prepare. get with your neighbors and find solutions. also fight back against evil. we must rely on our neighbors. stand up humanity!!!
This system is survivable only when it's part of an array that covers all 360 degrees with no mechanical rotation. Otherwise, it's pretty easy to defeat a standalone instance with a swarm of ultrafast quads arriving from all directions at the right intervals.
Who would have predicted that the Death Ray weapons programs everyone had in WW II would eventually be used to defend against drone sworms 😂
Also being used on people
@l-y-n-n-c Havana syndrome? Maybe...
Scientists and analysts would have thought
GREAT SHOW!!! I HOPE THESE ARE AS GREAT AS HE SAID!!!!!
Excellent work. One of the most informative videos I've seen in a while. Not too much info or there rigjt now on HPM and EW
Thanks so much for tracking this down. Microwave weapons are bleeding edge and theres so little info out there about them and their current status.
Ive even heard Arleigh burkes could feasibly use their AESAs as kinetic system. Not just EW, but literally as an augment to AEGIS as a destructive effector.
This was so well done that I must subscribe.
Human augmented functional capacity of situational awareness while operating the systems fascinating
Oh thankyou been waiting for this 20 yesrs
Scaler array?
They was doing Microwave Tech at Ft. Monmouth NJ waaay back in 1997. Can you imagine what they have now???
Lahaina, Hollywood etc...
What happens to friendly aircraft near the HPM wave? Will commercial planes inadvertently fall out of the sky?
When I was a kid I made a microwave gun made from microwave oven parts, I pointed it a helicopter it almost crashed because I was scared I trashed that project
Do you know some Lughanskiy Guys named Kreosan?
A microwave gun made from a microwave oven will not have near enough range to affect anything in the sky.
Excellent interview.
appreciate it!
slap a few microwave oven doors on that drone and this fancy system becomes useless lol
I was curious if you were going to bring on someone like this. Time on ship I saw a few drones get zapped by SPY radar (photo op - Friendly drone) and wondered if weapon systems similar would be employed soon with this development of drone warfare. Thanks for the on going great content!
I appreciate it!
24:48
I like this guest, he's 70x less hammered than John Konrad was
I wonder if there will be some version of this integrated into the NGAD fighters. Sounds like it would be effective in countering missiles from enemy aircraft and SAM's. If it could work in this use case, it would be hugely advantageous because unlike flairs and chaff it would never run out.
Great for warming up hot dogs 😮
HPM drones are next
That's actually a good counter to drones
hmmmm based on the size it would fit on a number of air frames really easy at a large scale, take the Kband off the awacs and put that in the dome? attached to the side or nose of a C130? hang one off the pylons on a B-52?? depending on power draw and range could be amazing
Really enjoyed watching this video. Andy was a great guest and could explain things in a way, that even dumb dumbs on this topic like me could understand.
Outstanding 🤘.!.
Thanks ✌️
It would be interesting to see how an offshoot of epirus's pulses can be used to semi-actively guide old SM-2 onboard the Arleigh Burke. Those ships can only kill 2 targets at an instance, whilst a phased array illuminator has a lot more flexibility. Of course SM-3's are becoming more common, but, I think it could be useful in some important cases facing the reality of our magazines. High Low mix!
I was literally on final at DCA when you brought up that example....slight pucker..
😂😂😂
Is great to see Martin Sheen working in the defense industry now. Love your movies btw
He was great as the captain in Firefly!
Navy surface Sailor retiree: love The Merge, love this guest. Thank you! These are the type of folks that make it foolish to attempt to oppose the United States and our allies.
It's exactly like metal in a microwave because that is what it is. It induces a current in the wires and electronics. Any micro components are fried.
Copper tape actually blocks microwaves 99%. No need for grounding. Aluminum foil works just as well. It's actually proven on tech ingredients. We all know who that is.
Will be interesting how this evolves and what counter-measures will come up. I once read some sci-fi where they'd dust the whole area with micro-chaff mist to disperse energy weapons.
Also are these machines vulnerable themselves? Will we get an arms race where one side is trying to outrange and bust the others microwave systems?
I really wish there was more research into MASERs
I've been wondering that for years
I used microwaves against planes in 1971. It did not work when there was a pilot at 5 miles! But close in with drones unless it had a Faraday Shield, it will overload the electronics.
This sounds like you could build this into a radar system as a mode. Mite be interesting to build this into an awacs plane.
What are the power requirements for this system?
Good question, the Mobile version might give an idea. It's mounted on some kind of 8 wheel APC type vehicle, so it can't be beyond whatever that thing can generate. The website says "Leonidas Mobile has the flexibility to integrate on any vehicle or on any hitch, bringing counter-UAS and counter-swarm capabilities to the battlefield to protect the maneuver force. As a fully mobile counter-electronics solution, Leonidas Mobile is a revolution in mission assurance."
This is the first WELL explained essay about DEWs. FINALLY !!
I've always been intrested in those particular defence developments (against emerging threats ...)
🫡🇮🇹🤜🏻🤛🏻🇺🇸🫡
quite clever
Except of course, that Leonidas died with his 300 in the end and the Persians went on to defeat Athens before losing the war in a sea battle.
Greek here. Athens was evacuated, not defeated. The sacrifice of Leonidas and the laconias bought time and made the evacuation of the entire Athenian population to Salamis island possible.
Xerxes found an empty city and his imperial army started to starve. The Persians were not defeated only on sea. Their land campaign became a logistical nightmare.
Im a retired EW guy and this stuff still excites me 😅😅 and I miss it
Does this system have the potential to be used in an anti-armor role? Disabling on board sensors rendering then blind or possibly completely immoblizing them?
If they are free microwaves, that's a great deal for the Army ... /jk
Use the pulses to reprogram the memory and control the threat.
What if the drones are emp proof would microwave affect them?
I’ve noticed even ring cameras on WiFi can mess with my drone at close range
SAR? Ah yes, I've encountered this back when we were introducing a whole family of TADs which allowed personnel to train against enemy IEDs.
Are military grade systems not hardened against EMP/HPM?
Think of it like things being 'bulletproof' while it may protect against 9mm or 7.62mm .50 BMG is a whole other story. Same with microwaves and the defenses against them.
@shermanshermannis7769 where can I read more about that?
I'm reminded of the Effectors from 'The Culture's by Ian Banks
New wep = new counters = revised new wep = revised new counters "and so ad infinitum".
Given that successful long term human occupation of space will require a hundred robots per person and skillful management of various energy waves, I would suggest that the Space Force would be the best coordinator for drone operations as it's all related. Robots, drones, energy weapons, it's all a package deal. They would just have franchises that operate in the other branches, civilian & military.
Great video, thank you! Would be interested to hear Andy Lowery's take on Gallium nitride supply chain issues given China's restrictions.
Jamming systems are great - until they get located by arty, which takes about 1.5 seconds. They then become very expensive craters.
What would stop somebody else from shielding their drones and, programming them before launch so, they did not receive any signals. Could that work to work around this system?
Until the wind blows, or the target moves, or the battery power varies.
U.k patriot here,I know a way(non tech) that renders your microwave emmitters non effective on any potential threat. No its not the copper bollocks or a faraday cage nonsense.
Theres a couple of other things you aint thought about either.
A few 100’s of £’s and il tell you. If im wrong keep your cash,but i aint.
I like how the right denigrates the left, just remember who took the science in math classes. 😃
1994 - HAARP is the world-leading technology in top secret phased array electronics
2024 - Mini-HAARP on a truck .
so a microwave disruptor or microwave nuke to damage em all or lije an emf
Easy defence: microwave screen door.
Trying to jam radars is a waste of time. Since the receiver know exactly the waveform that the transmitter made.
Just admit it. You want the war machine to write you a cheque.
This is like saying all you need to deal with bullets is an inch or so of steal just because that was able to block 9mm some guy shot at you.
How easily 😮can the unit be targeted?
Great show Mike very interesting as always.. We need some of Mr Lowery's Epirus systems here to stop ruzzian Shahid swarms. But, alas ITAR. One question, can you use those in built up area's in a city without adversely affecting the people in the path of the beam ? My guess is no, all the electronic stuff in their homes would be affected at least.
The website says "Human Safe - Low voltages, zero ionizing radiation, and software-controlled safe zones make Leonidas safe for people and friendly assets alike."
You forgot to mention what happened to the 300.
Hey wait aren't we electric and we have skin
Would they be willing to offer a reward for someone who can build a drone that can beat their system
Why Pay Someone to Trash your DARPA Project?
Florida
Speaking of the peak to trough power ratio it kind of sounds like a microwave oven on defrost mode.
Let's be cognizant of the hypersonic threats.
Just paint stuff blue
Right on!
Well , yu would want a Dragonfire to deal with Shaheds , and an Epirus to deal with Quadcopter Swarms .
Cant they be but on balloons to create Large area no go zones for sky and land?
A relative of my father's worked on the development of some kind of weapon that used microwave energy of some kind I don't really know anything about it he went to America to work in the late 80s and only returned about 2 years before he died so 30 years and he never left the place he worked his two children work for the military I don't know exactly what they do they don't wear uniforms maybe lab coats I have only seen both once since they were adults his wife who was 20 years younger and very healthy went absolutely crazy after he die and in locked away somewhere
That’s because a threat has not been created yet. Buyers would be lining up to buy your products.
5:05 Asymmetric warfare has moved from nuclear submarine to CHIP 5:22
Raytheon huh, when are they going to go public with their zero-point energy system that they have had for decades???
TUSPL Creates plasma
DID YOU KNOW!? Putin has HPM weapons toooo? Let me brief you. His version uses 12 IKEA microwaves stacked to form a pyramid to take advantage of pyramidal energy, a secret of the USSR that still holds TRUE.. BUTT each IKEA microwave has a mechanical clock timer that can only be set for 20 mins at a time before ding... America's HPM systems were made by Lockheed Martin, it was supposed to be cheap but Their scientists said the magnetron was to be made of pure gold bars to defeat the Soviet kind of pyramidal energy, I was told it makes the electrons dance harder. Funny because when we opened up the square antennas- we found a bunch of normal IKEA microwave magnetrons except our version has a (made in america) SPDT switch. So its performance is not interrupted ever 20 min but our switch is always on. No windows for you Putin. War all the time! The American System Works! Victory is Assured.......
Does anyone know where I can go to find out who know most about Ukr surveillance drones locking target for F16 munitions
Warthunder......Vlad. Your welcome!
I mean. If you tell people. People can counter it.
😮😮😮😮why now age 78 now
Who is here after the LA fires?
Here is the FAA InFOs Regarding any potential threat from drones.
RID Will fix it.
Additionally, banning Chinese drones and putting most of our domestic drone service providers out of business will fix it even better. (Even we at the FAA know that this is ridiculous but we had to say something)
So we reinvinting the Japanese death ray of WW2?
This is real
How's the research on your warp reactor coming to power this energy shield?
Please don't let the chinese steal this technology.
tee hee hee !
I assume your directed energy beam are frequency and polarization agile.
Can you give a ballpark range of the frequencies used on your systems without compromising any National Security? Are there any collateral injury effects on humans.
I'm am just an ex-USAF curious retired physician anesthesiologist with a BS in engineering physics.