Lockheed Martin has unveiled its MORFIUS X-Rotor system, an airborne high-power microwave (HPM) platform designed to disable large numbers of hostile drones in a single mission.
Announced at the Farnborough International Airshow, the company says the system can neutralize more than 50 unmanned aerial systems (UAS) per flight and is built for recovery and reuse to reduce operational costs.
MORFIUS is a ground-launched system that is sensor-agnostic and compatible with existing command-and-control systems without requiring dedicated fire-control radars. The system builds on earlier MORFIUS variants that have flown since 2017 and uses the same family of HPM effectors.
Unlike missiles or lasers, which target drones one by one, HPM systems emit bursts of powerful electromagnetic energy that can disable the electronics of multiple drones simultaneously – making them ideal for countering swarm tactics by offering rapid, wide-area neutralization without expending costly interceptors.
"MORFIUS sets a new benchmark for counter-drone capability – delivering a high kill rate while keeping the cost per kill low," said Randy Crites, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control Advanced Programs.
"By leveraging a lightweight, field reusable high-power microwave architecture, we provide the most effective, low-cost solution on the market today and demonstrate Lockheed Martin's ability to field innovative, affordable technologies at the speed our American and allied troops need."
The company is accelerating prototype production and preparing additional flight tests following recent demonstrations in Arizona, California, and Oklahoma, where “it also demonstrated interception and lethal capabilities,” Lockheed said.
The introduction of MORFIUS comes as high-power microwave counter-drone systems gain traction across the defense industry.
Epirus, a US defense tech company, has developed the Leonidas HPM system, which has undergone testing with the US Army and is being delivered to government customers. Leonidas is a ground-based platform designed to disable drones and electronic systems using software-defined microwave pulses.
Other programs have explored high-power microwave technologies, including Boeing’s Phantom Works, which has been working on the CHAMP project along with the US Air Force Research Laboratory and Thales’s ThunderShield already demonstrating operational potential.
Israel has invested in multiple counter-UAS technologies, including working on HPM capabilities due to persistent drone activity from regional adversaries. While most publicly known Israeli programs emphasize laser-based interception, high-power microwave systems are being evaluated for their ability to disable multiple drones simultaneously and reduce collateral damage.