The US has learned to suppress FPV drones using fiber optics.

January 22 2026 21 280 26

American company Epirus has successfully tested a fiber-optic countermeasure system against FPV drones. The Leonidas ultra-high-frequency electromagnetic system, manufactured by the company's engineers, demonstrated high effectiveness during testing.

During tests at a range of several hundred meters, an FPV drone with a fiber-optic control channel was disabled. Military analysts note that this indicates that drones, previously invulnerable to electronic warfare systems, still have an Achilles' heel: they can be disabled by a powerful, narrow electromagnetic beam, damaging their critical electronic components.

Leonidas is a solid-state, high-power HPM system that utilizes gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors to achieve unmatched electronic countermeasures. Leonidas features minimal size, weight, and deployment time, while maximizing operator maneuverability, safety, and control.

– the company explains.

It is emphasized that the standard configuration includes the MX-10D optical-electronic module from L3Harris with a 640 × 512 medium-wave thermal imaging sensor, day and low-level channel sensors, as well as Israeli multifunctional ieMHR radars.

The Epirus Leonidas complex can be deployed on stationary objects and surface ships.

– the engineers emphasize.

As a reminder, fiber-optic FPV drones are currently being actively used in the area of the special military operation in Ukraine. Kyiv regime militants have repeatedly acknowledged that they lack the means to counter such UAVs.

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Earl

+16

22 January 2026 14: 30

Leonidas is distinguished by its minimal dimensions… it can be placed on stationary objects and surface ships

So this thing is huge and power-hungry. And if the enemy manages to shield the drone's electronics, it's also useless.
1. Alexey Vladimirov
  
  -19
  
  22 January 2026 21: 21
  
  Of course, you can see better from your couch than the Lockhinmartin engineers and the general who took it. Grandpa, take some pills...
  1. alex-defensor
    
    +9
    
    22 January 2026 23: 13
    
    They haven't learned how to jam fiber-optic FPV drones; they've created a setup that can destroy the electronics of any FPV drone. So, the type of data transmission channel has nothing to do with it.
    
    Quote: Earl
    So this thing is huge and voracious. And if the enemy manages to shield the drone's electronics,
    
    I doubt it's possible to construct a lightweight yet effective shield against such a powerful weapon. However, this vehicle is a perfect target for other types of destructive weapons...
2. secrets_of_the_forest
  
  0
  
  23 January 2026 12: 48
  
  ...And she's very agile! And our fiber-optic drones will fly, but the triectories are tiny—you won't have time to aim!
Alexpan

-9

22 January 2026 15: 13

Kyiv regime militants have repeatedly acknowledged the fact that they do not have the means to combat such UAVs.

This means they will soon have it available.
dubas

+4

22 January 2026 15: 28

Quote: Alexpan
Kyiv regime militants have repeatedly acknowledged the fact that they do not have the means to combat such UAVs.

This means they will soon have it available.

The Americans just rushed to hand over the developments to the Armed Forces, only to embezzle the money.
1. twice-born
  
  -4
  
  22 January 2026 22: 37
  
  Just imagine, they'll just rush to the outskirts to test their new weapons against the Ukrainian Armed Forces! The outskirts are now an excellent testing ground for any weapon, especially new ones—the best place on Earth for it!
  Or have you already forgotten that the Americans started all this and are supplying the crests with everything they need to destroy the Russians?
  1. Leon68
    
    +4
    
    22 January 2026 23: 18
    
    Look at its range and where it needs to be positioned near the LBS. Those drones will instantly bury it there, like German Gepards.
    1. twice-born
      
      -8
      
      23 January 2026 00: 32
      
      That's what they'll see on the outskirts for starters, and they won't ask you or me. Whether or not the drones will bury the weapons they destroy is still a big question! For now, it's just your speculation.
2. gxmlygw
  
  +1
  
  23 January 2026 21: 57
  
  They'll let us test it, but then we'll see what comes of it.
vlad127490

+6

22 January 2026 15: 32

An electromagnetic gun is effective against unprotected electronics. A UAV can also be targeted with a rifle, but you need to know where and when it's flying.
This way, you can suppress any flying object filled with electronics.
1. Vladimir Tuzakov
  
  +8
  
  22 January 2026 16: 29
  
  How much is unprotected, how much is short-range. Quote:
  
  During tests at a distance of several hundred meters, an FPV drone with a fiber optic control channel was disabled.
  
  Let it be effective for a kilometer—how many of these expensive devices are needed for a thousand-kilometer LBS? And it won't be difficult to detect by pulses and then destroy. Conclusion: a good tool, but you can't stockpile enough to cover all needs.
  1. vlad127490
    
    0
    
    22 January 2026 17: 23
    
    In reality, electromagnetic weapons are on the verge of fantasy, just like microwave ovens in war. Laser weapons are closer and more realistic.
  2. twice-born
    
    -4
    
    22 January 2026 22: 44
    
    A bad start is a bad start! Over time, they'll scale it down and improve it, make it cheaper, and mass-produce it, so there's enough for everyone.
    The process, and perhaps even the revolution, of cheap and reliable drone destruction, which everyone has been waiting and predicting for so long, has begun.
    1. Vladimir Tuzakov
      
      +3
      
      22 January 2026 23: 23
      
      You're an optimist, though. Read the ingredients list for this product. It can't be cheap, and its mass production is questionable. The performance characteristics are pure guesswork; the Pepelats isn't groundbreaking, more akin to a search for solutions...
      1. twice-born
        
        0
        
        23 January 2026 00: 38
        
        Prepare for the worst, but hope for the best. So in this case, I believe being optimistic is better for us, for our army. You can't underestimate the enemy, as the saying goes.
        The composition of this product is unlikely to be readily available now, as it's a secret weapon still in development, and nothing but mysteries surround it. What's certain is that it's so essential, which means it will be further developed and improved.
Jim

+7

22 January 2026 18: 35

How much does this thing cost? How much power does it consume? Will there be enough of these for every moving device?
Shelest2000

+5

22 January 2026 19: 44

A simultaneous star attack of 3-4 drones and that's it...
Alexey Vladimirov

-6

22 January 2026 21: 20

What can you say about these guys, it's not like our guys only came up with cartridges with shot for the Kalashnikov in the 4th year of the war, and it's not clear when they'll saturate the front with them.
1. The comment was deleted.
2. Vladimir Tuzakov
  
  -1
  
  23 January 2026 17: 39
  
  Note: The AK cartridge is too small a caliber for shotgun pellets (these are divided into three segments), which is insufficient to destroy a UAV with the first shot (there may not be enough time for a second). A special underbarrel grenade launcher with a single-shot 12-gauge shot has been developed, but it's primitive, with reloading and the bolt unscrewing being a bummer. A variant with a buckshot underbarrel launcher is also possible; it doesn't use buckshot, but rather buckshot, which would be sufficient to completely cover a more distant target. It loads quickly, and a shot at 100 meters is sufficient to "take out" an incoming UAV. A compact sound amplifier for the hearing-impaired can be used to hear the distant buzz of an incoming UAV. Many new innovations are needed, tested, and implemented. Why they aren't being developed and used? A question for the Russian Ministry of Defense's armament and support services. (One can't help but recall Prigozhin's cry to the Russian Ministry of Defense: "Give us shells.")
Shurik70

+2

23 January 2026 06: 23

There is such a term - Faraday cage.
Protects from any external electromagnetic radiation.
For drones, it is enough to first wrap all the electronics in cellophane and then in foil on top.
And that's it. No problems with the external signal.
This approach can't be applied to radio-controlled drones—the antennas would be exposed and therefore vulnerable. However, the technique works perfectly with fiber optics.
Garry_Z

+2

23 January 2026 08: 47

Essentially, it's a microwave analogue of a laser. BUT!!! 1. It requires a lot of energy.
2. It is necessary to quickly "pump up" the system
3. You need to hit the target accurately.
Well, the idea is not bad!
kriten

+3

23 January 2026 09: 50

Under the guise of peace talk, the US is increasing aid to the Ukrainian Armed Forces through various channels, while simultaneously advancing negotiations for Russia to abandon its own goals and be content only with US ones. Trump says this is the spirit of Anchorage.
wlkw

0

23 January 2026 13: 42

It's expected, but in any case, it's not a mass-produced thing.
Alexanders

+1

23 January 2026 14: 21

Quote: Alexey Vladimirov
Of course, you can see better from your couch than the Lockhinmartin engineers and the general who took it. Grandpa, take some pills...

Oops, go check the toilet, the water in the bowl is frozen.
Kiril

0

24 January 2026 22: 07

Chatter - if they were able to burn out the electronics on a drone, why couldn't they burn them out on an airplane or a rocket?