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System · Electromagnetic

Leonidas

Solid-state high-power microwave counter-drone system; Gen II ordered by the Army as IFPC-HPM.

by Epirus

Limited fieldingElectromagneticMilestoneFeb 2026
Epirus Leonidas IFPC-HPM high-power microwave systems staged for Exercise Balikatan in the Philippines.

Photo: U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Brandon Rickert · Public domain (PD-USGov-Military-Army) · U.S. Army IFPC-HPM variant of Epirus Leonidas; exact program identity corroborated by the Army Balikatan2025 article and Epirus program announcement.

Milestones20232026
  1. First deliveryFirst Leonidas-derived IFPC-HPM prototype delivered to the Army, confirmed
  2. MilestoneDefeats 61 of 61 drones, including a 49-drone swarm, at Camp Atterbury demonstration, confirmed
  3. MilestoneSecond-generation Leonidas completes Army testing, reported

Solid-state high-power microwave counter-drone system; Gen II ordered by the Army as IFPC-HPM.

Timeline3

  1. First deliveryConfirmed

    First Leonidas-derived IFPC-HPM prototype delivered to the Army

    Epirus announced on 1 November 2023 that it had delivered the first of four IFPC-HPM prototypes after government acceptance testing in Nevada; the exact delivery day is not stated.

    Program: Indirect Fire Protection Capability High-Power Microwave

  2. MilestoneConfirmed

    Defeats 61 of 61 drones, including a 49-drone swarm, at Camp Atterbury demonstration

    Invitation-only live-fire demonstration in Indiana across five flight scenarios, ending with a 49-drone swarm disabled by a single pulse.

  3. MilestoneReported

    Second-generation Leonidas completes Army testing

    An Epirus executive said the second-generation system completed testing with the Army in February 2026 and that the Army owns two of them.

The latest 10 milestones. Solid entries are confirmed, outlined reported, dashed estimated or still to come; dotted italic entries are speculative. Dates show only the precision the sources give.

Operators1

  • USUnited States

Cost to the Government

  • Contract unit priceEstimated
    $21.8M
    2 units

    Army RCCTO contract (Jul 2025): $43,551,060 base for two IFPC-HPM Gen II (Leonidas) systems plus associated test events, support equipment and spares; $43,551,060 / 2 = $21,775,530 per system (division by us; overstates the hardware price because test events and spares are included).

    Source

Unit costs and contract unit prices for this system, and budget figures for the programs that buy it. Each figure states its dollar basis and links its source; contract values are under Programs & awards.

Capabilities1

Supply Chain Inputs1

  • Lithium-ion battery cells

    Component

    China produced 80% of global battery cells and over 90% of anode material in 2024 (IEA). CATL and other Chinese battery makers are on DoD's 1260H list, and China's October 2025 controls on high-energy-density cells (suspended to November 2026) target the cells drones use.

    HighReported

Materials, components and capacity this product depends on. Open an input to see who produces it and the controls on it.