Counter-UAS
Epirus Leonidas vs AFRL THOR
High-power microwave is the leading candidate for defeating drone swarms economically, and these are the two systems the US has actually fielded or operationally assessed. Leonidas's solid-state architecture against THOR's containerized demonstrator marks the technology's path to a program of record.
AFRL THOR
US Air Force Research Laboratory / BAE Systems / LeidosUSDevelopment
Tactical high-power microwave demonstrator
Specification comparison
| Specification | Epirus Leonidas | AFRL THOR |
|---|---|---|
| Method | High-power microwave electronic disruption | High-power microwave, wide-arc electronic defeat |
| Engagement | Area effect against multiple simultaneous targets | Swarm-class targets simultaneously (public) |
| Architecture | Solid-state GaN amplifier array (public) | Not publicly disclosed |
| Magazine | Limited only by available electrical power | Not publicly disclosed |
| Form | Trailer/vehicle-mount and podded variants | 20-ft shipping-container form factor (public) |
| Setup | Not publicly disclosed | Rapidly emplaceable, generator powered |
Values are reproduced exactly as recorded in the DroneZone systems database. Where a figure is absent from the public record, it is marked “Not publicly disclosed” rather than estimated.