Venture-backed startup Epirus has released a short video showing the Leonidas high-power microwave weapons system in action.
The California-based company integrated the world’s most powerful HPM phased array into the GDLS-manufactured U.S. Army Stryker combat vehicle to provide Short-Range Air Defense (SHORAD) capabilities.
Developed in under a year, Stryker Leonidas was recently field demonstrated at a U.S. government testing site successfully disabling individual drone targets and swarms of drones. The integration of Leonidas, the world’s most powerful HPM phased array, with Stryker, the U.S. Army’s largest and most reliable combat vehicle fleet brings counter-electronics capabilities to the frontlines – providing a proven and cost-effective layered defense solution for the maneuver force.
“The integration of Epirus’ Leonidas system with General Dynamics Land System’s Stryker vehicle provides the U.S. Army a cost-effective, maneuverable and tested defense capability against current and emerging threats to the warfighter,” said Leigh Madden, Chief Executive Officer of Epirus. “Epirus’ culture of innovation and GD’s decades-long track record of delivering cutting-edge solutions will only continue as we work together to develop further capabilities.”
The integration of Leonidas, the world’s most powerful HPM phased array, with Stryker, the U.S. Army’s largest and most reliable combat vehicle fleet, brings counter-electronics capabilities to the frontlines. pic.twitter.com/ZK41yJnFrk
— Epirus (@EpirusInc) October 18, 2022
Leonidas’ counter-swarm effectiveness fills a pressing short range air defense (SHORAD) capability gap for the joint force as the threat of swarming drones continues to endanger troops and civilians overseas and in the homeland.
The continued evolution of adversaries’ swarming drone capabilities is matched by Epirus’ software-weaponeering capabilities, which allows the system to continually intake new data, rapidly update its sophisticated waveforms and expand its magazine depth for enhanced SHORAD mission assurance across all domains. With its open architecture, Leonidas can integrate with a range of Command-and-Control (C2) platforms to detect, track and defeat the increasing deployment of drone technology by adversaries and non-state actors.
“Adding Leonidas’ counter-electronics capabilities to the Stryker combat vehicle provides the joint force with unmatched mobile protection from the continuously evolving threat of weaponized drones,” said Gordon Stein, Vice President of U.S. Operations at General Dynamics Land Systems. “As the Army’s largest combat vehicle fleet, Stryker is combat-proven, cost-effective, highly mobile, versatile, sustainable and transportable and continues to be a highly sought platform beyond the Stryker Brigade Combat Team formations.”
Stryker Leonidas is the latest edition to Epirus’ suite of HPM systems – along with the company’s ground-based Leonidas system for surface-to-air defense and Leonidas Pod, a first-of-its kind, mobile and compact HPM system. When deployed in tandem, the Leonidas family of products create a layered counter-swarm and counter-electronics field of protection. Epirus is also actively exploring future capabilities to defend against next-generation threats.