Singapore has entered into a new partnership with US defense firm Epirus to explore the use of high-power microwave (HPM) weapons for countering unmanned aerial system (UAS) threats. The collaboration, formalized through a memorandum of understanding, involves the country’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and focuses on evaluating directed-energy solutions capable of disrupting hostile drone electronics.
The initiative is aimed at addressing emerging challenges posed by advanced “dark drones”, including fiber-optic guided and AI-enabled UAS that can evade conventional electronic warfare techniques. High-power microwave systems generate electromagnetic interference that induces electronic failure, offering a non-kinetic method to neutralize drones without relying on radio-frequency jamming.
Under the agreement, DSTA and California-based Epirus will conduct joint testing and technical knowledge exchanges to assess system performance across multiple operational scenarios. Planned trials will evaluate the effectiveness of microwave weapons against single drones as well as coordinated swarm attacks, supporting Singapore’s efforts to strengthen protection of critical infrastructure and military assets.
The collaboration follows a December 2025 demonstration in which Epirus’ Leonidas counter-UAS system successfully neutralized a fiber-optic guided drone during a live-fire test at a US government facility. Epirus described the event as the first known instance of weaponized electromagnetic interference defeating a fiber-optic controlled unmanned system, a growing threat highlighted by widespread use in the Ukraine conflict.
