Autonomous mobile drone swarm killer created in trilateral US defense company collab — the new Leonidas Autonomous Ground Vehicle (AGV) is a high-power microwave platform

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A full-scale Leonidas AGV prototype will be on display at Booth 801 at the AUSA Global Force Symposium & Exhibition in Huntsville, Alabama, from today.

The Leonidas Autonomous Ground Vehicle (AGV)
(Image credit: Epirus, General Dynamics Land Systems, and Kodiak AI)

A trio of U.S. industry leaders in defense, autonomy, and directed energy have collaborated on a new solution to neutralize drone swarms. Today, the Leonidas Autonomous Ground Vehicle (AGV) was announced as an autonomous mobile answer to the growing asymmetric threat from the skies. Specifically, it combines the Epirus Leonidas high-power microwave platform, the Kodiak Driver autonomous system, and General Dynamics Land Systems’ system integration expertise.

Leonidas AGV Animation - a mobile, fully autonomous vehicle for counter-UAS using microwave energy - YouTube Leonidas AGV Animation - a mobile, fully autonomous vehicle for counter-UAS using microwave energy - YouTube
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In a press release received by Tom’s Hardware, the collaborators behind the project highlighted that the AGV can be teleoperated to safely extend the lines of drone defenses and operated without human intervention. The rapidly deployable mobile unit can then dish out its deadly(to drones) directed microwave energy.

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According to the AGV makers, it is effective against individual, swarm, or fiber-optic-controlled drone attacks. Previously, the Epirus Leonidas high-power microwave platform has enjoyed success in the field. We reported on it being demonstrated, downing 49 drones in one shot, last year. Thus, there is little reason to doubt its extended effectiveness as part of this autonomous mobile platform. It is basically driven to exactly where it will work best by Kodiak Driver from Kodiak AI. In case you haven’t heard of Kodiak AI, in 2024, it delivered the tech behind the first customer-owned and -operated driverless trucks in commercial service.

“Saturation drone attacks demand a fundamentally different approach to defense,” said Andy Lowery, CEO of Epirus. “Leonidas AGV combines autonomous mobility with high-power microwave effects to deliver a counter-UAS capability that rapidly maneuvers to defeat drone swarms without more boots on the ground. Together with GDLS and Kodiak, we’re enabling a new layer of autonomous drone defense for critical assets and infrastructure.”

(Image credit: Epirus, General Dynamics Land Systems, and Kodiak AI)

General Dynamics Land Systems is a specialist unit of General Dynamics which provided the design, engineering, production, and combat vehicle support ‘glue’ to transition the AGV from a concept into a demonstrable prototype.

A full-scale Leonidas AGV prototype will be on display at Booth 801 this week, at the AUSA Global Force Symposium & Exhibition. The symposium begins today, at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

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Mark Tyson
Mark Tyson
News Editor

Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.

5 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Notton
    How much does it cost and what is the expected K/D ratio, before it presumably gets knocked out by a missile?
    Reply
  • thestryker
    Notton said:
    How much does it cost and what is the expected K/D ratio, before it presumably gets knocked out by a missile?
    Since they're using standardized platforms the vehicle part should be fixed cost and the big part would be the intercept system itself. Currently the only thing I'm aware of in the US arsenal that can do the same thing is CRAM. While it's mobile it is huge and requires a semi to move it around and also costs around $10m. It also of course uses ammunition which limits the overall effectiveness as well. Even with bloated costs on everything MIC related I doubt these drone intercept platforms will cost anywhere near that.

    As for survivability there isn't really much that sets them apart from what already exists. About the biggest difference is that they should be much more mobile so if repositioning is on the table they'd be significantly better.
    Reply
  • Notton
    Okay, because the competition is estimated to be $4000~5000 per drone.
    Reply
  • thestryker
    It's all about context though. The cheapest missile in the US arsenal is $400k and CIWS ammo (CRAM uses the same, but the most recent figures are for CIWS which is naval) was ~$46/round firing 75 rounds per second (two second interval is standard). So if these can replace CRAM 725 intercepts would pay for a $5m vehicle cost in just ammo alone. If these can take out larger drones in the slow category (think Shahed 136) 13 missiles saved pays for a $5m vehicle. They also have the benefit of being much better at taking out swarms than anything currently deployed.
    Reply
  • Gururu
    Smells like a boondoggle and the AI animation clinches that prospect.
    Reply