Epirus has been awarded a $43.55 million contract by the U.S. Army to supply a next-generation directed-energy weapon designed to neutralize drone swarms and other airborne threats.
The agreement, part of the development and validation phase, includes two Integrated Fires Protection Capability High-Power Microwave (IFPC-HPM) Generation II systems, along with testing, support equipment, spare parts, and options for additional components and trials.
According to The War Zone, the first system is expected to be delivered by the end of July, the second by late August, and a third unit by September. Testing and evaluation will take place in October at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in California. A successful outcome could lead to full-scale procurement by the Army.
Next-Gen Enhancements:
The IFPC-HPM Gen II systems, part of the Epirus Leonidas family, use long-pulse microwave energy to disrupt the electronics of multiple drones simultaneously.
Featuring a software-defined, modular design, the platform allows for tailored responses to evolving threats while reducing maintenance costs and simplifying system upgrades.
Four Gen I IFPC-HPM systems were delivered to the Army in May 2024. The improved Gen II version is expected to more than double the range of its predecessor and increase output power by approximately 30 percent.
