General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) is disclosing additional details about its new enhanced mobile Short Range Air Defense (SHORAD) Stryker Leonidas. In October 2021, GDLS and Epirus, Inc., have a Strategic Teaming Agreement to integrate the Leonidas directed energy system and broader high-power microwave (HPM) technology into GDLS-manufactured U.S. Army’s Stryker and other/autonomous ground combat vehicles for enhanced mobile Short Range Air Defense (SHORAD) capabilities. Leonidas can disable a single target in crowded spaces and multiple targets across a wide area such as a military base, border or critical infrastructure site.
Leonidas’ integration with Stryker enables a fully mobile counter-electronics solution and demonstrates the system’s flexible application programming interface (API) and ability to integrate with existing ground-based, airborne and maritime systems for operation across domains. The system’s open API allows for maximum interoperability to meet the mission needs of multiple customer sets. Leonidas delivers unprecedented power and performance in a dramatically smaller form factor and is the only directed energy weapon with a proven ability to counter swarming drones and execute precision strikes at range.
Leonidas is a C-UAS electromagnetic pulse system, which provides static and mobile C-UAS defence capabilities. The design allows for continuous upgrades and optimising the system’s electromagnetic waveforms to successfully counter evolving targets at a longer range. It is designed to allow for enhancements in future to achieve rapid deployment without the need to add new hardware. The C-UAS was built with an open system architecture and a modular hardware design to support integration with customers’ command-and-control (C2) systems to detect, track and target UAS. It incorporates commercial solid-state technology which reduces its size and weight.
Leonidas can be used to simultaneously target and neutralise done swarms. It can hit the targets with high precision and accuracy. The system delivers high performance in a very small form factor. It is equipped with digitally beamformed antenna, which optimises the amount of power used on the target and protects friendly forces from excessive power. Leonidas also adheres to programmable no-fly zones to ensure friendly drones can operate safely, while hostile UAS are disrupted. The power amplifiers provide deep magazines with rapid rate of fire with near-instant effects on the target without overheating. The system eliminates the need to reload.
