According to Joe Lonsdale, founder of Epilus, a new powerful microwave system that can knock a swarm of drones out of the sky at once can “touch every aspect of war.”
“It's kind of like a Star Trek Shield,” Lonsdale, founder of Epilus and co-founder of the fast-growing defense technology company, Palantil, explained Leonidas' counter-drone system. “You can turn them off from very far.”
“This will touch on all aspects of the war in the next decade,” Lonsdale said. “It can kill pretty advanced drones.”
Defence technology startup Epilus has secured an additional $250 million in its Series D funding round, announced Wednesday, bringing total venture funding to more than $550 million.
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Epirus' Leonidas counter drone system transmits high-power microwave beams that stop truck drones. (Epilus)
Epilus' Leonidas system is a ground-based, directed energy weapon that fires electromagnetic pulses to negate a swarm of drones, or can neutralize precision targets. The company aims to help the military move from a “one-on-one mindset to a “many” mindset” to a “one” mindset, according to CEO Andy Lowry.
The drone herd was an important frontline tactic in the Russian-Ukurein war, as most defense systems were designed to extract one unmanned vehicle at a time. Additionally, in the Middle East, the US is using millions of dollars of missiles to shoot down Houthi drones built for less than about $2,000.
“The drone herd is a place where war is going, and there are currently packs of drones that are very expensive and very difficult to stop,” Lonsdale said. “It's not just a drone, it's all kinds of applications for this,” he added, predicting that one day the technology could be deployed to freeze airplanes in the sky and protect satellites. The technology has already been successful in Department of Defense testing on boat motors and other electronics, according to the company.
“This will only touch on all aspects of the war over the next decade.”
Defence technology entrepreneur and venture capitalist Joe Lonsdale said Epilus' Leonidas technology “exposes every aspect of war.” (Mohammad Obaidi/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Rep. Rob Whitman, vice-chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, warned that the US needs to “run to catch up” with enemies in the counter UAS space.
“We're not doing what we have to do,” he told Fox News Digital to a bystander at the National Security Innovation Base Summit in Washington, DC. [Central Command]but… in places like Langley Air Force Base, we are not where we need it. ”
Dozens of drones hovered over Langley in 2023 for more than two weeks, and lawmakers say no explanations have been provided yet.
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Epilus won a $66 million contract to supply Leonidas to the US military in 2023, and according to comments made to Congress by the Army Secretary's prime minister last year, the technology is believed to be in testing phase by the Central Command overseeing the Middle East.
The rapid rise of unmanned aerial vehicles in war has prompted defensive races to develop systems that counteract them, such as high-energy lasers and high-power microwaves.
“We have a lot of people, you know, [Defense Department]I want to embrace new technology,” Lonsdale said. “They're really excited about this.”
Defense entrepreneurs suggested that the pentagon has “large amounts of waste” that can be reused for new technologies.
“There are a lot of chronisms. We're looking at tens of thousands or even hundreds of millions of dollars you can withdraw [on] How aggressive do you want to be? And these should be placed on cutting edge technology that actually stops the enemy. ”
Epilus was valued at $1.35 billion when it raised $200 million in Series C funding, but the company did not disclose its valuation for the round.
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The California-based company will use new cash inflows to expand into international and commercial markets and expand manufacturing in the US
The company is also planning to open a new simulation center in Oklahoma to train soldiers in counter-drone battles.
