The conflicts involving Iran and its regional proxies in 2025–2026 have demonstrated a profound transformation in modern warfare. Drone technology, once seen primarily as a surveillance and tactical strike capability, has evolved into a central instrument of strategic coercion, battlefield attrition, and asymmetric warfare. At the same time, the emergence of sophisticated counter-drone architectures—particularly directed-energy systems and AI-enabled detection networks—has reshaped the economics and operational dynamics of air defence.
The escalation known as Operation Epic Fury in February–March 2026 became a major real-world testbed for mass drone employment and advanced counter-UAS technologies. Iran, along with aligned proxy organisations, employed large numbers of low-cost one-way attack drones, fibre-optic-guided FPV systems, and mixed missile-drone strike packages against Israeli, American, and Gulf targets. In response, defenders deployed increasingly layered defensive architectures that integrated electronic warfare, artificial intelligence, high-energy lasers, and High-Power Microwave (HPM) systems.
The conflict revealed that future warfare will likely be defined by the contest between mass attrition-capable autonomous systems and increasingly intelligent, networked defensive ecosystems.
Drone Usage in the Iran Conflict
Iran has relied on Shahed-136 family one-way attack drones (and variants such as Arash-2) for saturation strikes, launching thousands in coordinated waves alongside ballistic and cruise missiles. These low-cost systems (~$20,000–$50,000 each) target military bases, energy infrastructure, airports, and civilian areas across Israel, US positions, and the Gulf states.
1. Scale: Over 2,000 Shahed-type drones were launched in the first week of major retaliation (early March 2026), with sustained but declining use thereafter. This mirrors Russian tactics in Ukraine but on a regional, multi-front scale.
2. Tactics: Saturation to overwhelm defences, forcing the use of expensive interceptors (e.g., Patriots, Iron Dome) against low-cost threats. Some variants incorporate anti-jamming features, decoys, and improved navigation using Russian/Chinese inputs.
3. Proxy Role: Hezbollah (Iran-backed) has extensively deployed fibre-optic-guided FPV drones in southern Lebanon against Israeli forces since March 2026. These un-jammable systems have caused Israeli casualties and forced tactical adaptations, as traditional RF/EW countermeasures fail.
Both sides have used drones offensively: The US deployed the LUCAS (Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System), a reverse-engineered Shahed-like platform, in strikes against Iranian infrastructure.
Integration with Fibre-Optic Drone Countermeasures
Fibre-optic drones have emerged as a key challenge in this theatre:
1. Threat Evolution: Hezbollah's use of fibre-optic FPVs (with ranges up to dozens of km) exploits EW-heavy environments. These systems are RF-silent, low-signature, and difficult to detect or track by traditional means, complicating Israeli and US operations near borders or bases.
2. Detection/Defeat Efforts: Israel has accelerated the adoption of multi-sensor approaches (acoustic arrays, radar, EO/IR with AI fusion) and kinetic solutions (automated turrets, interceptor drones, nets). Reports indicate experiments with lasers to sever cables. The conflict has driven urgent NATO-style innovation challenges for tethered threats, building on lessons from Ukraine.
3. Limitations Exposed: While effective for short- to medium-term tactical strikes, fibre-optic drones' cable drag and visual signature enable some reverse tracking and physical defeat. Still, they increase defender costs in contested zones.
High-Power Microwave (HPM) and GaN in Action
The conflict has highlighted the value of directed-energy systems against swarms and resilient drones.
1. Epirus Leonidas Deployment: US forces have used Leonidas variants (including the mobile Vehicle Kit and autonomous ground vehicle integrations) in the Middle East during operations against Iran. It has proven effective for counter-swarm missions, neutralising multiple drones per pulse at low cost. Its ability to disrupt electronics in RF-silent or fibre-optic threats (via induced faults in flight controllers, sensors, etc.) addresses gaps that jamming cannot.
2. GaN Advantages in Theatre: Gallium Nitride amplifiers enable compact, high-power-density, efficient designs critical for mobile operations in Gulf/Levantine environments. GaN's thermal resilience, bandwidth for agile waveforms, and SWaP reductions allow rapid deployment on vehicles or bases, sustaining deep magazines against prolonged Iranian barrages. This directly counters the cost asymmetry: cents-per-shot HPM vs expensive kinetic interceptors.
3. Performance Context: Systems such as Leonidas complement kinetic layers (e.g., Israeli Barak Magen, US lasers such as HELIOS) and have been tested and used against mixed threats, including those hardened by Russian and Chinese tech.
Broader Military and Strategic Implications
Cost Asymmetry Amplified: Iran's Shahed barrages strain US and Israeli resources, echoing the Ukraine conflict. Defenders respond with attrition, using LUCAS drones and non-kinetic tools, such as HPM, to restore economic balance.
Adaptation Race: Iran and proxies shift towards distributed production, fibre optics, and Chinese-sourced components (e.g., ultra-thin cables, electronics) to enhance resilience post-strikes. Defenders accelerate AI/sensor fusion and directed energy.
Lessons Applied: US adoption of Ukrainian tools (e.g., Sky Map C2) at bases such as Prince Sultan demonstrates cross-conflict learning. The theatre validates GaN-enabled HPM for expeditionary use against conventional swarms and emerging fibre-optic threats. Outlook (as of May 2026): The Iran conflict reinforces the view that future warfare favours mass attrition, which systems can counter with smart, layered defences. Fibre-optic and Shahed-style drones extend the tactical reach of Iran-aligned forces, while GaN-powered HPM, such as Leonidas, provides a scalable "force multiplier" for defenders. Proliferation risks remain high, with ongoing supply-chain battles (e.g., Chinese components) shaping long-term outcomes. Developments continue to unfold rapidly amid ceasefire tensions and proxy actions.
GaN thermal management and the complementary roles of high-power microwave (HPM) and high-energy laser (HEL) systems have been clearly demonstrated in the 2025–2026 Iran-related conflicts. These directed-energy weapons (DEWs) counter the saturation tactics of Iranian Shahed-style drone swarms and Hezbollah fibre-optic FPVs, restoring cost-effective defence when kinetic interceptors are strained.
GaN Thermal Management in HPM Systems
Gallium Nitride (GaN) enables Epirus Leonidas and similar HPM platforms by delivering high power density while minimising thermal burdens. Key advantages:
1. High Junction Temperature Tolerance: GaN operates reliably at 225–250°C (vs ~150°C for GaAs), enabling sustained high-power pulses without immediate degradation.
2. Superior Thermal Conductivity: Especially with GaN-on-SiC substrates, it dissipates heat more efficiently. Advanced techniques such as near-junction cooling, microchannel embedding, and diamond integration (via DARPA programs) dramatically reduce thermal resistance, enabling compact designs.
3. Smart Power AI Management: In Leonidas, AI-optimised algorithms (envelope tracking and predistortion) reduce power consumption by up to 70%, minimising waste heat. This eliminates bulky vacuum tubes and coolants, supporting vehicle-mounted mobility (e.g., pickup trucks or Strykers) and deep magazines.
4. SWaP Benefits: Reduced cooling hardware shrinks size/weight, critical for expeditionary use in hot Gulf/Levantine environments during 2026 operations. Gen II systems doubled range/lethality in similar footprints.
These traits make GaN-HPM resilient during prolonged engagements against Iranian barrages, when legacy systems would overheat or require excessive logistics support.
HPM vs Lasers in Layered Defence
HPM and HEL systems complement each other in hybrid architectures:
a) HPM (e.g., Leonidas): Wide-beam, near-instantaneous pulses turn off swarms by frying electronics (including fibre-optic variants via onboard circuit disruption). Low per-shot cost, one-to-many capability, and GaN-driven efficiency excel in the face of saturation attacks. Deployed by US forces in the Middle East for base protection.
b) High-Energy Lasers (HEL): Precision, speed-of-light focused beams burn through airframes, cables, or sensors. Ideal for single/high-value targets. Limitations include dwell time (seconds per target), weather sensitivity, and line-of-sight needs.
Hybrid Integration:
a) HPM for initial swarm defeat at range; lasers for precision cleanup or cable severance on fibre-optic threats.
b) Examples: Japan's plans pair HPM with lasers; US/NATO layered C-UAS fuse both with sensors/AI. In the theatre, this counters mixed Shahed + FPV attacks.
Combat Use in Iran Conflict (2026):
a) Lasers: Israel's Iron Beam saw its first combat use in March 2026, vaporising drones/missiles cost-effectively alongside Iron Dome. US Army AMP-HEL and similar systems supported operations.
b) HPM: Leonidas variants neutralised swarms and resilient drones, leveraging GaN for sustained mobile ops. Effective against RF-silent fibre-optics.
c) Outcomes: DEWs reduced reliance on expensive missiles and handled high-volume attacks. Challenges persist (atmospheric effects for lasers, hardening for HPM), but they have shifted the economics in favour of defenders.
Overall Integration and Outlook
In the Iranian theatre, GaN-powered HPMs such as Leonidas provide a "force field" against swarms, while lasers offer surgical precision—collectively forming robust, layered defences informed by Ukraine. GaN's thermal innovations ensure these systems remain mobile and reliable in contested, high-tempo environments.
Future trends (2026+): Deeper GaN-diamond cooling, software-defined hybrids, and wider proliferation. This arms race favours adaptable, deep-magazine DEWs over pure kinetics, thereby redefining responses to mass drone threats. Developments remain fluid amid regional tensions.
Iron Beam, Israel's operational high-energy laser (HEL) system, has become a cornerstone of layered directed-energy defences in the 2025–2026 Iran-related conflicts, complementing GaN-powered HPM systems such as the Epirus Leonidas and addressing mass drone and rocket threats.
Iron Beam Technical Details
a) Power: 100 kW-class fibre laser (main system), capable of focusing intense heat on a coin-sized area. Variants include Iron Beam-M (mobile, ~50 kW) and Lite Beam (~10 kW for shorter-range/dazzling).
b) Range: Up to ~10 km (6.2 miles) under optimal conditions, optimised for short-range threats like drones, rockets, mortars, and artillery. Performance degrades in adverse weather (rain, fog, dust) due to atmospheric attenuation.
c) Engagement: Speed-of-light interception with dwell times measured in seconds. Uses advanced electro-optical targeting and a large 450 mm aperture to mitigate beam blooming and maintain coherence.
d) Cost: Approximately $2–10 per interception (primarily electricity), compared to $50,000+ for Iron Dome missiles. Near-unlimited "magazine" limited only by power supply and cooling.
e) Operational Status: Delivered December 28, 2025, by Rafael Advanced Defence Systems; entered service as the fifth layer in Israel's multi-tiered air defence (alongside Iron Dome, David's Sling, Arrow 2/3).
Integration with GaN Thermal Management and HPM
GaN amplifiers enhance HPM systems such as Leonidas by providing superior thermal management—high junction temperatures (>225–250°C), efficient heat dissipation (GaN-on-SiC), and AI-driven Smart Power optimisation that reduces waste heat. This enables compact, mobile platforms to operate sustainably in hot Middle Eastern environments without bulky cooling systems.
In contrast, Iron Beam (laser) relies on different thermal challenges—managing high-power fibre laser sources and optics—but benefits from complementary strengths:
a) HPM (Leonidas): Wide-beam, near-instantaneous pulses for swarm defeat and electronics disruption (effective against fibre-optic FPVs)—one-to-many capability.
b) HEL (Iron Beam): Precision, single-target focus for burning through airframes, cables, or warheads. Ideal for cleanup or specific high-value threats.
Hybrid Layered Approach:
a) Sensors (radar, acoustic, EO/IR with AI fusion) detect threats.
b) HPM handles saturation swarms and RF-silent drones at range.
c) Iron Beam provides precise, low-cost kills on remaining or closer targets, including severing fibre-optic cables or detonating munitions.
Combat Use in the Iran Conflict (2026)
During Operation Epic Fury and follow-on exchanges (February–March 2026+), Iran and proxies (e.g., Hezbollah) launched thousands of Shahed-style drones and rockets. Israel deployed Iron Beam in combat for the first time in early March 2026:
a) Successfully intercepted drones, rockets, and mortars over Tel Aviv, northern Israel, and border areas.
b) Worked in concert with Iron Dome to handle mixed barrages, reducing expenditure of kinetic interceptors.
c) Effective against Hezbollah fibre-optic FPVs in southern Lebanon, where lasers could physically damage trailing cables or drone structures.
US systems (e.g., HELIOS) provided additional support. Directed-energy weapons collectively shifted the cost asymmetry, allowing defenders to absorb high-volume attacks at an economic cost.
Advantages and Limitations
Strengths:
a) Collapses cost-imposition warfare: Attackers cannot easily exhaust defences.
b) Minimal collateral damage.
c) Rapid engagement at light speed.
Challenges:
a) Weather sensitivity (lasers) vs better all-weather potential for HPM.
b) Power infrastructure needs (both systems).
c) Limited numbers of Iron Beam units in early deployment.
d) Adversary hardening (shielding for HPM, reflective materials for lasers).
Outlook
As of May 2026, the Iran theatre validates the synergy between GaN-enabled HPM for swarm and electronic defeat and Iron Beam-style lasers for precision kills. This hybrid model—deep magazines, multi-domain resilience, and economic efficiency—defines modern counter-drone strategies. Continued integration of AI, sensor fusion, and GaN advancements will further enhance performance against evolving threats, including mass fibre-optic deployments and Shahed deployments. The arms race remains dynamic, with both offensive proliferation and defensive innovation accelerating.
The Iran-related conflicts of 2025–2026 mark a pivotal moment in the evolution of modern warfare. Drones have become more than tactical tools; they are now integral to strategic and operational efforts. The use of attrition drones, fibre-optic FPV systems, and autonomous strike platforms has reshaped conventional ideas about air dominance, force protection, and battlefield resilience. At the same time, the rapid emergence of directed-energy defences—particularly GaN-enabled high-power microwave systems and high-energy lasers—has demonstrated a viable path to restoring economic and operational balance in air defence.
The conflict has underscored several enduring lessons:
1) Future warfare will be increasingly autonomous.
2) Mass and affordability matter as much as sophistication.
3) Electronic warfare alone is insufficient against emerging drone threats.
4) Layered defences integrating AI, sensors, HPM, lasers, and kinetic systems will become standard.
5) Directed-energy weapons are transitioning from experimental technologies to operational necessities.
The evolving contest between the proliferation of offensive drones and defensive technological innovation is likely to define the character of future conflicts across multiple domains. Nations that integrate autonomous systems, resilient sensor networks, and scalable directed-energy defences into coherent military doctrine will hold a decisive advantage in the battlespace of the future.
Author: GR Mohan
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