Epirus has announced an $11 million U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) contract, awarded through the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research, for the High-power microwave Autonomous Vehicle Operational Capability (HAVOC) program.
Epirus will deliver its latest high-power microwave (HPM) system for counter-UAS and counter-swarm point defence. The system will feature a universal sled mount for seamless integration across the Marine Corps’ manned and unmanned ground vehicle fleets, enabling scalable deployment and flexible mission configurations.
The HAVOC system is an autonomy-enabled evolution of the Expeditionary Directed Energy Counter-Swarm (ExDECS) system Epirus delivered to the USMC in 2025.
Andy Lowery, Epirus CEO, stated:
“This award highlights the Marine Corps’ commitment to fielding integrated, software-defined systems optimized for the complex and rapidly evolving drone threat. The HAVOC system will advance the one-to-many solution introduced with ExDECS and strengthen the Marines’ ability to deliver precise, low-collateral protection of high-value points and Marine warfighters.”
Powered by the latest evolution of Epirus’ high-power microwave platform, the HAVOC system will introduce significant gains in electronic lethality, reliability, and operational efficiency. The upgraded system will also expand coverage and power output while enabling continuous software-driven tuning.
As part of a layered, mobile protection solution, the HAVOC system will provide a resilient, non-kinetic option for Low Altitude Air Defense (LAAD) formations. The mobile HPM system will extend the counter-UAS line of defence to protect ground-based air defense assets, refuelling points, radars, communications, power equipment, and other forward-deployed assets.
The contract includes training, service, and sustainment support with options for an additional system and associated solutions.
