Army leadership considers small enemy drones and drone swarms to be a top threat to soldiers. In an effort to counter these emerging threats of drone swarms, General Dynamics Land Systems announced that it has entered into a strategic teaming agreement with Epirus, Inc., a high-growth technology company that develops direct energy systems to deliver counter unmanned aerial systems technology to the service.

The two companies will initially integrate the Leonidas directed energy system and broader high-power microwave technology into the U.S. Army’s Stryker and other manned and autonomous ground combat vehicles for enhanced mobile Short Range Air Defense (SHORAD) capabilities.

In addition to updates to the Stryker platform, GDLS is also developing a class of robotic combat vehicles that feature a modular architecture to maximize scalability and support future mission needs.

The integration of the Leonidas with the Stryker enables an unprecedented, fully mobile counter-electronics solution and demonstrates the system’s flexible API (Application Programming Interface) and the ability to integrate with existing ground-based, airborne and maritime systems for operation in all domains. The system’s open API allows for maximum interoperability to meet the mission needs of multiple customer sets.

Epirus’s flagship product, the Leonidas, is a next-generation microwave counter-UAS tactical weapon based on a gallium nitride solid-state amplifier or generator. It delivers unprecedented power and performance in a dramatically smaller form and is the only directed energy weapon with a proven ability to counter-swarm drones and execute precision strikes at range.

The system developed by Epirus is very compact and can be integrated on a whole series of platforms which enhances the mobility and speed of battery installation with very short times for complete operation.

“General Dynamics Land Systems continues to evolve the Army’s largest and most reliable ground combat vehicle fleet with next-generation innovation and high-tech solutions,” said Danny Deep, President of General Dynamics Land Systems. “This partnership with Epirus benefits the Army’s Stryker mobile SHORAD formations by offering cutting-edge, counter-electronics and counter-swarm capabilities.”