Here's What We Know About The USMC's Newest Anti-Drone System
Story by Jonathan H. Kantor • 13h
Modern warfare has changed drastically over the past few decades thanks to the introduction of drones. Technically, drones have been around since 1917, but it took nearly a century for the technology to become combat-capable. Initially, the U.S. launched drones only for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), but with the arming of the MQ-1 Predator in 2002, it all changed. Now, drones are used for various offensive missions by the U.S. and many other countries.
The conflict in Ukraine has fully demonstrated the capabilities of drones, and it's also proven why new defenses are required to diminish the threat. While the U.S. is the world's leader in satellite-controlled worldwide drone operation with aircraft like the MQ-9 Reaper, smaller, cheaper, and equally lethal options are available. Ukrainian troops use them to drop munitions on top of tanks, so there's plenty of utility with an off-the-shelf model that costs a few hundred bucks over more robust options that cost millions.
To combat the threat, the U.S. Marine Corps is testing and fielding a new system for drone defense called the Leonidas Expeditionary. This new high-powered microwave system is designed to not only take out a drone or two but to take out entire swarms of drones via high-energy microwaves. If successful, this would give the Marines a new weapon in defending personnel, vehicles, and buildings from massive drone attacks, potentially changing the landscape of modern warfare once more.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/here-s-what-we-know-about-the-usmc-s-newest-anti-drone-system/ar-AA1rNj2c?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=98ae551fa43142b08759f12d128f4af1&ei=81
