As drone swarms become one of the biggest headaches for militaries around the world, defense companies are racing to develop new ways to stop them without firing expensive missiles at every target. Lockheed Martin says its latest system is built to tackle that challenge.
The company has unveiled MORFIUS X-Rotor, a new airborne counter-drone system that uses high-power microwave (HPM) technology to disable enemy drones. According to Lockheed Martin, the reusable system can neutralize more than 50 hostile drones during a single flight, making it one of the most ambitious anti-drone concepts announced to date.
Instead of physically striking each target, MORFIUS X-Rotor emits powerful microwave energy designed to disrupt the electronics that keep drones flying. That “one-to-many” approach could make it particularly useful against large coordinated drone attacks, which have become increasingly common in modern conflicts.
One of the biggest selling points is cost. Lockheed Martin says MORFIUS is designed to be recovered after a mission and reused in the field, helping keep the cost per engagement significantly lower than traditional interceptor-based systems. That’s an important consideration as militaries look for affordable ways to counter inexpensive commercial drones that can overwhelm conventional air defenses.
