Overview
- Lockheed unveiled MORFIUS X‑Rotor at the Farnborough airshow on Monday, and said the system is now moving from demonstrations toward faster prototype production and more flight tests.
- The company describes MORFIUS as a ground‑launched, recoverable airborne platform that uses high‑power microwave (HPM) energy to disable electronics and guidance in multiple unmanned aerial vehicles during a single sortie.
- Lockheed says the X‑Rotor can neutralize over 50 drones per flight, operate without a dedicated fire‑control radar or unique sensor, and work with existing command‑and‑control networks.
- The announcement frames MORFIUS as a lower‑cost, one‑to‑many alternative to expensive kinetic interceptors at a time when U.S. forces have rapidly expended interceptor stockpiles against threats such as Shahed drones and missiles.
- Company statements point to past HPM effectors flown since 2017 and alignment with the U.S. 2025–2028 Rapid Response Counter‑UAS Roadmap, but independent operational verification of MORFIUS’s claimed performance has not been published.