US: World’s First High-pulse Microwave Robot to Fry Drone Swarms in Seconds Unveiled
By Kapil Kajal
Weighing about 10 tons, TRX is a hybrid-electric, AI-enhanced tracked vehicle capable of traveling more than 300 miles on a single charge.
US defense firms Epirus and General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) have unveiled a new autonomous robotic system designed to counter growing drone threats on the modern battlefield, combining high-power microwave technology with a next-generation unmanned ground vehicle.
The new platform, called Leonidas Autonomous Robotic (Leonidas AR), integrates Epirus’ Leonidas high-power microwave (HPM) weapon with GDLS’s Tracked Robot 10-ton (TRX) unmanned ground vehicle.
The result is a mobile, autonomous counter-drone system that can defeat swarms of unmanned aircraft with precision and minimal collateral damage.
World’s first microwave-armed robot
The companies announced the system before its public debut at the Association of the US Army’s (AUSA) annual meeting and exposition in Washington, D.C.
“Epirus’ partnership with General Dynamics Land Systems is an industry-leading collaboration that continues to deliver real results,” said Andy Lowery, CEO of Epirus.
“Together, we are bringing world-first capabilities to market that directly answer the call of the Army Transformation Initiative.”
Lowery said the system represents a new model of defense innovation, a merger between traditional “prime” defense contractors and “neo-primes,” or emerging tech firms.
“The marriage of neo-primes and primes is how the U.S. defense industrial base can best ensure victory as the battlefield rapidly evolves,” he said.
At the core of the new platform is the Leonidas HPM system, which uses weaponized electromagnetic interference (WEMI) to disable or destroy electronic targets.
The system can simultaneously disrupt multiple drones in a swarm, offering what Epirus calls “one-to-many engagement capability.”
Frying drone swarms in seconds
Unlike conventional air-defense weapons that rely on interceptors or gunfire, Leonidas uses bursts of high-power microwave energy to disable the electronics of hostile drones or precision-guided munitions instantly.
The platform is also software-defined, allowing operators to fine-tune the weapon’s output and frequency bands for different mission needs.
That software adaptability enables users to define “safe zones,” notch out frequencies to avoid friendly interference, and update the system’s performance remotely without removing it from the field.
The GDLS TRX vehicle provides the platform’s mobility and autonomy.
Weighing about 10 tons, TRX is a hybrid-electric, AI-enhanced tracked vehicle capable of traveling more than 300 miles on a single charge, with a top speed of 45 mph. Its all-terrain design, 360-degree radar sensing, and advanced computing systems suit it for both autonomous and remote operation in high-risk areas.
“By combining General Dynamics Land Systems’ decades of leadership in the development and deployment of ground combat vehicles with Epirus’ premier non-kinetic counter-UAS effector, Leonidas AR achieves the level of next-generation technology that today’s battlefields demand,” said Jim Pasquarette, Vice President for US Strategy and Business Development at GDLS.
High-pulse microwave
GDLS is also developing a wheeled variant of the system to expand mobility options for future Army needs.
The collaboration marks the second major integration between the two companies.
In 2022, the companies introduced Leonidas Stryker, which mounts the same high-power microwave system on the US Army’s Stryker armored vehicle, one of the service’s most widely deployed combat platforms.
Leonidas AR extends that concept into the autonomous domain, representing what the companies describe as the next evolution in mobile counter-drone and short-range air defense.
“The Sixth Domain, the electromagnetic spectrum, will define future conflicts,” the companies said in a joint statement.
“Victory will come from blending the scale and sustainment of traditional primes with the agility and disruptive innovation of neo-primes.”
The Leonidas AR prototype will be showcased at Booth 7609, Hall D/E, during the AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, DC.
