E37 – High Power Microwave Weapons

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Mike hosts Andy Lowery to dig deep into directed energy weapons—specifically high-power microwave (HPM) systems.

Andy is the CEO of Epirus, a venture-backed defense tech startup inverting the cost equation of drone defense and swarm protection. We talk about the tech, how it affects electronics, and how Epirus’ flagship product—Leonidas—is designed with adaptability and scale in mind. Turns out that HPM systems share more in common with an F-35 radar and an EA-18 jammer than a kitchen appliance!

The Army is currently in a rapid buy-and-try phase of these counter-UAS (CUAS) systems and is sending them to the Middle East. The systems have a host of other applications, though—the Navy is experimenting with them to disable boat motors, and the Air Force is also interested.

This episode is a defense tech episode you don’t want to miss!

For those interested in #military #nationaldefense #warfare #nationalsecurity #defense #nationaldefense #tech #technology #defensetech #army #navy #airforce #drone #drones #swarm #HPM #DEW #microwave #directedenergy

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Show Notes

(00:47) Intro

(01:36) Epirus

(02:11) the “prime problem”

(02:43) 3 disruptions in modern warfare

(07:07) asymmetric advantage and cost imposition

(09:57) inverting the equation

(11:40) $1 billion in weapons

(11:59) Congressional hearing

(12:32) microwaves

(14:53) name origins

(17:04) serial killer vs mass murderer

(17:46) Star Trek

(18:26) Leonidas

(18:46) wicked fast tech development

(19:42) speed of technology

(20:19) inventory investment

(20:29) needs vs requirements

(22:02) Andy’s 3 careers

(29:19) product vs services

(24:32) 80/20 business model

(25:08) Thor HPM

(25:25) old school HPM

(26:03) new way of HPM

(26:20) like the next-gen jammer

(27:06) like an AESA radar

(27:32) GaN-based AESA

(30:09) designed to adapt

(31:02) how HPM actually works

(34:07) like radar jamming techniques

(35:13) YouTube video controversy

(35:58) copper tape vs HPM myth

(37:20) faraday cage concept

(38:41) copper tape studies

(40:10) a systems approach

(41:32) ballistic missile defense (BMD)

(41:57) Army IFPC program

(43:26) Army base defense charter

(43:50) SHORAD

(44:21) scenarios

(44:48) layers of SHORAD

(45:49) Anduril Industries

(46:12) layered defense problem

(46:41) GWOT killed SHORAD

(47:08) Syria and Jordan

(47:58) company culture

(49:33) government pain points

(49:59) export restrictions

(50:35) the “MRAP response” way

(51:26) 1990 policy blocker

(51:56) The FAA

(52:03) NOARD issue

(52:33) homeland defense issue

(53:45) pre-mortem

(54:43) team-of-teams approach

(56:43) the government’s budgeting problem

(58:55) boats!

(1:00:00) HPM vs other electronics

(1:02:18) airborne HPM?

(1:04:06) Epirus, the next few years

(1:06:04) factory and scale

(1:08:37) outro