The Pentagon's Office of Unmanned Aircraft Systems has completed tests of a high-powered microwave technology called the Epirus system, which has the ability to disable several drones simultaneously, according to a Defense News report published on Wednesday. .
This is not the first demonstration the Pentagon has made of this technology, as it previously conducted two tests last year in the spring and fall, and the last test took place during an entire week from April 4 to 22 last at the Arizona base.
“What we mainly focused on in that first week of the high-powered microwave weapon is how well the weapon responds and how fast it can shoot,” Michael DeGinaro, head of the test team at the Office of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, said during a media briefing May 11.
"We were looking at the range to engage the targets that were incoming and the amount of time it would take to either deter or defeat the target," he added.
DeGinaro emphasized that the Ypres system had proven successful in its intended activities, and that "it was able to defeat targets in a range that is usually associated with what is currently in the field, and has the potential to be a little more effective in the field in the future."
The Pentagon also evaluated technologies that could counter small drone systems, selecting from a total of 25 papers submitted for the process.
The five companies selected were Anduril Industries, Black Sage, CACI, Rafael Systems Global Sustainment and SAI. C" (SAIC).
"We had 5 very complex projects there...each brought a set of different strategies to detect, identify, track and defeat small drones, and we tested each of these strategies individually and then as a system," DeGinaro said.