Epirus today released video footage of the company’s Leonidas VehicleKit (VK) high-power microwave (HPM) platform successfully disabling a fiber-optic guided unmanned aerial system (UAS) during a December 2025 live-fire technology demonstration at a U.S. government testing site. The event marks the first known instance of electromagnetic interference being weaponized to defeat a fiber-optic guided drone. Fiber-optic first person view (FPV) drones have emerged as a game-changing tactic in contested environments, particularly in Ukraine, where they are employed daily for one-way attacks and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. Unlike conventional UAS that rely on radio frequency (RF) links for pilot control, fiber-optic guided FPV drones connect to their pilots via spools of long, thin, fiber-optic cable. These fiber-optic guided FPV drones operate without an RF command-and-control link, rendering them immune to jamming, spoofing and other legacy EW counter-UAS measures. The Leonidas HPM platform defeats fiber-optic guided drones by delivering precise, software-defined weaponized electromagnetic interference to induce full kill within critical onboard electronics rather than relying on kinetic destruction or RF disruption. The Leonidas HPM platform utilizes non-ionizing radiation, making it inherently safe for humans when used as intended and its software-defined, highly directional phased array antennas focus energy on identified target areas only. Its near-instantaneous effects enable operators to influence the target’s drop zone to minimize collateral damage.

Full report : Epirus achieves first takedown of fiber-optic guided drone with its Leonidas microwave system which uses world’s first EW-based counter-UAS technology.

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