AnGard Microwave: Dutch High-Power Microwave Systems for Counter-Drone Defense

European defense planners are increasingly concerned about small, unmanned systems threatening critical infrastructure and military operations. AnGard Microwave is a Dutch deep-tech spin-off from the University of Twente and TNO that addresses this challenge with novel high-power microwave (HPM) amplifiers. Their founders, Anton Atanasov and Jasmine Sharifa Szimanneck, have developed portable electronic-warfare payloads that can be drone-mounted and used to jam or spoof hostile drones, causing them to land safely [1] . For advanced threats — such as fiber-optic or AI-controlled UAVs — the company is innovating a directional HPM emitter that projects a focused electromagnetic pulse to overload and disable the drone’s electronics at range [2] .

This technology is rugged and swarm-capable, exploiting microwaves’ resilience in field conditions where high-energy lasers might fail [3] . AnGard Microwave represents a European effort to field cutting-edge counter-drone capabilities, potentially offering a homegrown alternative to existing systems. Its emergence prompts strategic questions: Can it enhance European deterrence by adding new layered defenses against unmanned threats? Does it reduce reliance on extra-EU technology suppliers?

This report analyzes those questions, assessing AnGard’s role in Europe’s defense technology landscape and strategic autonomy goals. AnGard Microwave is a Dutch academic spin-off developing directed-energy counter-drone systems. Its core technology is a portable, high-power microwave jammer derived from university and national research laboratories [2] [4] . The company aligns with key European emerging technology priorities in Directed Energy & High-Power Systems (HPM anti-drone) and related Sensor/Electronic Warfare fields.

To European sovereignty, it offers a domestic alternative to foreign C-UAS suppliers: its amplifiers and jammers could substitute imported solutions (e.g. Israeli or US equipment currently used by EU militaries). It also has potential to integrate into NATO-EU multi-domain defense networks.