AUSA 2022: General Dynamics and Epirus to showcase Leonidas air defense system on Stryker.

Ten months after Epirus and GD partnered to integrate a directed energy system into a Stryker, the companies on October 5 said they have successfully demonstrated Epirus’ Leonidas counter-electronics array aboard a Stryker in disabling drones for short-range air defense, Defense Daily reports. Stryker Leonidas, which went from concept in October 2021 to a successful field test in August, will be on display at the annual Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) conference in Washington, D.C. The testing with GD lasted two weeks and occurred at a government test site in the desert.
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Leonidas high-powered microwave (HPM) air defense system on Stryker (Picture source: Epirus)

Leonidas is a high-powered microwave (HPM), a software-defined system that disables drones operating singly or in swarms. Epirus says the system can defeat small, medium and large unmanned aircraft systems at operationally relevant ranges established by the U.S. military, Defense Daily reports.

For the recent demonstration, the second generation of Leonidas was integrated into a Stryker. The specific Stryker used in the integration didn’t require any changes in its batteries or power systems and is designed to accommodate the added technology. In the demonstration, a RADA Technologies radar was integrated with Leonidas and a Stryker. Leonidas features an open architecture and works with other radar, electro-optical and radio-frequency-based detection and tracking sensors, and command and control platforms, Defense Daily reports.

The third-generation system, which has more power and was introduced last spring, can easily be integrated into the combat vehicle relatively soon. The system is scalable. Epirus is working with a government customer on a smaller form factor of Leonidas that can be adapted to a smaller military platform, Defense Daily adds.