Epirus unveils new directed energy weapon AGV

Leonidas Autonomous Ground Vehicle (AGV) is a collaboration between Epirus, General Dynamics Land Systems, and Kodiak AI. (Epirus)

General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) integrated Epirus' Leonidas high-power microwave (HPM) onto a Ford F-600 commercial vehicle equipped with Kodiak AI's Driver autonomous software to demonstrate a new counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) capability, the companies announced on 24 March.

The Leonidas Automated Ground Vehicle (AGV) will be displayed for the first time at the Association of the United States Army Global Force conference on 24 March. Integration of this “proof-of-concept” system for individual UASs and swarms took less than four months, an Epirus spokesperson told Janes on 23 March.

Although the spokesperson said the company is in discussions with the US Army, he declined to say whether Epirus will submit details on this technology for any open requests for information. The AGV is “well suited” for defence of fixed-site missions, the spokesperson added.

The truck was selected primarily for its payload capacity, Ray Moldovan, business development manager at GDLS, told Janes on 23 March. Using a commercial vehicle is designed to show the army that the defence industry is listening. Senior leaders have recently said incorporating more civilian technologies could help stabilise the industrial base.

“The less we touch these proven commercial systems, I think the more we bring to the table,” Moldovan said. Kodiak AI's system is also dual use. The technology was first used in non-military trucks, although the company has won military contracts in recent years.

During the four-month integration process, the company increased the power on the vehicle by using “a power take-off from the transmission to drive a bespoke power-generation solution specifically for the payload”, he said.