Andy Lowery - Inside the World’s Most Advanced Drone Killing Machine | SRS #299
Andy Lowry, CEO of Eperis, demonstrates the Leonitis system, a directed energy weapon that uses high-powered microwave energy to neutralize drone swarms. Lowry explains how their technology creates an electromagnetic interference field that can simultaneously disable dozens of drones, and discusses the growing threat of cheap drone warfare requiring innovative countermeasures.
Summary
Andy Lowry, CEO of billion-dollar defense tech company Eperis, presents the Leonitis counter-drone system on Sean Ryan's show. The conversation reveals how Lowry, a former Navy nuclear officer and Raytheon engineer, transitioned into developing electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapons after recognizing the emerging drone threat. The Leonitis system creates an invisible electromagnetic interference field using gallium nitride semiconductors and hundreds of phased array elements. This "force field" can neutralize entire drone swarms in under a second by overloading their electronic systems without causing permanent damage to the drones or harm to humans. Lowry demonstrates a mobile version mounted on an autonomous ground vehicle equipped with 360-degree radar coverage and Starlink connectivity. The system operates like a spotlight beam that rapidly moves across target areas, appearing simultaneous due to its microsecond speed. The technology has already been deployed in two combat commands and tested extensively with the Army, proving effective against groups one and two drones at ranges up to several kilometers. Lowry discusses the broader implications of asymmetric drone warfare, noting incidents like 12 drones surveilling Barksdale Air Force Base undetected. He argues that traditional defense contractors are poorly positioned for this "mice versus lions" warfare, where expensive missiles chase cheap drones. The conversation covers technical details about frequency bands, power systems, and operational modes from manual to fully autonomous. Lowry emphasizes the system's safety for humans and its ability to preserve drone electronics for forensic analysis. The discussion concludes with the urgent need for rapid deployment given current global conflicts and the staggering asymmetry in production capabilities, with China reportedly capable of producing 30 million drones annually.
Key Insights
- Lowry argues that traditional defense primes operate like law firms, waiting for requirements rather than innovating proactively, while neo-primes guess at solutions and risk capital upfront
- Lowry claims the current warfare paradigm has shifted from hunting 'lions' with big weapons to dealing with 'mice' that run through the bars of traditional defenses
- Lowry reveals that China can produce 30 million drones per year, creating a massive magazine depth disadvantage for traditional missile-based defense systems
- Lowry explains that their system preserves drone electronics intact after neutralization, allowing forensic analysis to trace origins and identify perpetrators
- Lowry describes how 12 drones successfully surveilled Barksdale Air Force Base in multiple waves, proving totally impervious to jamming according to news reports
Topics
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