With drones rapidly taking over 21st century warfare, namely the wars in Ukraine and Iran, countries have been forced to adjust their strategies in real time.

Static missile-based defenses have proven inefficient in halting drone attacks and the mobile missile defense systems are more geared toward aircraft and incoming missiles.

To answer this new threat from above, Epirus, General Dynamics Land Systems and Kodiak AI today unveiled Leonidas Autonomous Ground Vehicle, a mobile, fully autonomous vehicle for counter-UAS, critical point defense and homeland security missions.

The announcement came at the AUSA Global Force Symposium & Exhibition which runs through Thursday in the Von Braun Center. A full-scale Leonidas AGV prototype will be on display at Booth 801 in the South Hall.

Leonidas AGV features Epirus’ Leonidas high-power microwave platform integrated onto a commercial-grade truck platform equipped with Kodiak’s AI-powered autonomous driving system. General Dynamics Land Systems served as lead system integrator.

Leonidas AGV delivers a mobile counter-UAS capability that can be operated without human intervention or teleoperated to extend the counter-UAS line of defense across fixed-site and expeditionary mission sets, company officials said.

“Saturation drone attacks demand a fundamentally different approach to defense,” said Epirus CEO Andy Lowery. “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.”

Designed for autonomous critical point defense counter-UAS operations, Leonidas AGV can rapidly deploy to intercept points or maneuver to protect from individual, swarm or fiber-optic controlled drone attacks.

Leonidas AGV is well-suited for a range of missions, including defense of military installations, forward operating bases, airports, ports, energy infrastructure and major public events – including sporting events such as the Olympics and World Cup.

The system’s autonomous and teleoperation modes allow operators to scale coverage, reposition dynamically and maintain continuous coverage from drone threats.

The system showcases the modularity and scalability of Epirus’ Leonidas high-power microwave platform, a tested and proven counter-UAS solution that delivers software-defined electromagnetic interference effects to precisely neutralize drone threats.

Leonidas defeats individual drones and saturation swarm attacks without expending costly and limited interceptors, creating a resilient and low-collateral close-in defense layer for critical assets and infrastructure.

“We partner with other companies so we can provide best-in-class capabilities to the Army — and the Leonidas AGV is a timely example,” said Keith Barclay, vice president and general manager for U.S. Operations at General Dynamics Land Systems. “Integrating leading-edge technology from Epirus and Kodiak into a commercial-based vehicle is one way to ensure American soldiers have the power to win on the battlefield.

“At GDLS, we’re moving faster than ever before, and we think there’s a great future for commercially inspired innovations such as Leonidas AGV.”

The Kodiak Driver system enables Leonidas AGV to operate autonomously across a range of complex environments, from paved highways to off-road environments and everything in between.

The system’s modular architecture ensures reliable and safe movement in areas where human operation may be inefficient or unsafe. With advanced perception and autonomous navigation, Kodiak Driver allows Leonidas AGV to maneuver dynamically and maintain uninterrupted counter-UAS coverage in contested environments.

“Autonomous mobility fundamentally changes how advanced defensive systems can be deployed and operated,” said Kodiak AI founder and CEO Don Burnette. “By integrating the Kodiak Driver with Epirus’ Leonidas platform and GDLS’ integration expertise, we are demonstrating how commercially developed autonomy enables mobile counter-UAS capabilities that protect critical assets and keep warfighters out of harm’s way.

“This collaboration directly meets the U.S. military’s need for scalable, adaptable and cost-effective autonomous ground vehicles.”