Commercial swarms of hostile drones are fast becoming a major threat to allied forces on today’s battlefields. Lockheed Martin has introduced MORFIUS™ X-Rotor, a newly released “one-to-many” airborne High Power Microwave (HPM) counter-drone system designed to neutralize more than 50 enemy drones in a single flight.
Designed for field recovery and reuse, MORFIUS is intended to maintain a low cost per kill while protecting defence budgets and providing sustained firepower. MORFIUS is sensor and command-and-control agnostic. Unlike other airborne counter-drone systems, it does not require a unique sensor to command-guide an engagement.
To move the system from the laboratory to the front line, Lockheed Martin is accelerating prototype production of MORFIUS and its HPM payload. The team is also planning the next series of flight tests, building on recent achievements in Arizona, California and Oklahoma, where it tested flight, intercept and lethality conditions.
Why It Matters
The effort directly supports the U.S. Department of War’s 2025–2028 Rapid Response Counter-UAS Roadmap, as Lockheed Martin works to provide forces with affordable and effective solutions when they are needed.
Lockheed Martin states that MORFIUS is the only ground-launched, field-reusable airborne HPM system capable of delivering more than 50 drone kills per flight using any command-and-control system and without dependence on fire-control radars. The company describes the capability as a force multiplier for defended assets and troops.
MORFIUS X-Rotor builds on previous variants that have flown since 2017 and uses the same family of HPM effectors, which have demonstrated their ability to engage challenging targets while minimizing collateral damage. The system is designed to address modern battlefield challenges.
“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.”
