The Shawn Ryan Show #299 Andy Lowery - Inside the World’s Most Advanced Drone Killing Machine
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Apr 27, 2026 
Andy Lowery, retired Navy lieutenant commander and CEO of Epirus, dives into the race to stop drone swarms. He traces his path from nuclear officer to RF engineer. The conversation explores microwave weapons, gallium nitride breakthroughs, layered air defense, autonomous counter-drone systems, startup speed in defense tech, and where Leonidas could protect bases, ships, embassies, and tactical teams.
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Leonidas Protects Missile Defenses Rather Than Replacing Them
- Lowery does not pitch Leonidas as a ballistic-missile shield but as protection for the systems that defend against missiles.
- He says Golden Dome still needs THAAD and Patriot for lions, while Leonidas stops the mice attacking those assets.
The System Is Expensive Up Front But Cheap Per Kill
- Lowery thinks counter-drone systems could become as common as radar if cheap drones remain a persistent terror and battlefield threat.
- He says a large Leonidas may cost in the teens of millions, but each engagement costs only pennies of energy.
Smaller Systems Could Expand Beyond Counter Drone
- Lowery says shrinking the electronics opens uses beyond base defense, including vehicle protection, special operations, and stopping cars or boats without gunfire.
- He imagines breaching teams disabling computers inside a target building before entry, not just downing drones overhead.
