Lockheed Announces X-Rotor, Directed Energy Counterdrone System

LONDON—Lockheed Martin has unveiled at the Farnborough Airshow a new counterdrone system—a small X-rotor uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) carrying a high-powered microwave (HPM) the company says can take down swarms of small drones.

The Morfius UAS is designed for field recovery and reuse, and is agnostic to sensors and command-and-control systems, meaning it does not require a unique sensor to conduct an engagement.

The UAS was flight tested during experiments in Arizona, California and Oklahoma, where it tested flight, intercept and “lethality conditions,” the company announced.

“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,” says Randy Crites, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control Advanced Programs.

The company says Morfius supports the U.S. Defense Department's ongoing 2025-2028 Rapid Response Counter-UAS Roadmap targeting cheap systems that can be fielded quickly. Lockheed says Morfius can take down more than 50 drones per flight. Previous variants have flown since 2017 and use the same family of HPM systems that had previously been tested.

While Lockheed Martin directly connects Morfius to ongoing Pentagon efforts, the announcement coincides with increased interest in counterdrone systems globally. The UK government on July 14 announced low-level funding for interceptors from three UK-based suppliers as part of a broader, five-country European effort, the Low-Cost Effects and Autonomous Platforms program.