U.S. unveils self-driving Leonidas AGV microwave weapon to take down drone swarms in seconds.

Three U.S. companies, Epirus, General Dynamics Land Systems, and Kodiak AI, developed the Leonidas Autonomous Ground Vehicle (AGV), a self-driving counter-drone system integrating a high-power microwave weapon to neutralize drone swarms within seconds.

Presented during the AUSA Global Force Symposium 2026 in Huntsville, Alabama, the prototype, based on a Ford F-600, is equipped with Epirus’ Leonidas microwave system and Kodiak AI’s autonomous driving software to expand short-range air defense coverage while reducing reliance on both manpower and missile-based air defense systems. The development also reflects a growing U.S. Army requirement for mobile, scalable counter-UAS capabilities capable of addressing saturation attacks to strengthen force protection.

Read also: AeroVironment unveils Locust X3 laser weapon to defeat drone swarms at a five-dollar cost

The Leonidas AGV works by emitting long, high-power microwave pulses that generate electrical currents inside a drone’s wiring, antennas, and electronics beyond what they can handle, effectively frying it from the inside. (Picture source: GDLS)

On March 24, 2026, Epirus, General Dynamics Land Systems, and Kodiak AI unveiled the Leonidas Autonomous Ground Vehicle (AGV), an autonomous counter-drone system designed to address the increasing frequency of drone incursions and swarm attacks observed in recent months. The Leonidas AGV merges the Epirus high-power microwave weapon directed energy with a Ford F-600 equipped with Kodiak AI's Driver autonomous software to extend defensive coverage beyond fixed installations and reduce reliance on interceptor-based systems. Like the Locust X3, its development reflects the growing requirement to counter low-cost unmanned aerial threats that can be deployed in large numbers, creating cost imbalances when defeated with traditional missiles.

The high-power microwave weapon, for its part, targets a short-range defensive role focused on drone swarm engagements, where conventional systems face saturation limits and logistical constraints tied to ammunition consumption. The Leonidas AGV was presented at the AUSA Global Force Symposium 2026 in Huntsville, Alabama, as a joint effort in which General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) acted as the lead integrator, combining Epirus’ microwave system with Kodiak AI’s autonomous driving software onto a commercial vehicle. The current display is a full-scale prototype, not yet validated under operational conditions, and has not demonstrated engagement capability while in autonomous motion.

The development responds to a defined requirement for mobile high-power microwave solutions identified in earlier U.S. Army experimentation efforts, where fixed systems limited coverage and adaptability. The prototype stage indicates that further testing, including integration with operational units such as Joint Interagency Task Force 401, remains necessary before any transition to acquisition or deployment decisions. The Leonidas AGV is built on a Ford F-600 medium-duty truck chassis, selected primarily for its payload capacity and ability to support additional electric systems required by the microwave weapon. General Dynamics Land Systems modified the vehicle to integrate sensors, power distribution, and structural elements necessary to support the combined system.

The architecture brings together three main subsystems consisting of the Epirus Leonidas microwave emitter, the Kodiak Driver autonomous control system, and the vehicle integration layer. The Leonidas AGV system can operate without a driver or be remotely controlled, allowing operators to maintain oversight while reducing personnel exposure. Its mobility allows repositioning across a defined area of operations, enabling it to shift between interception points or patrol perimeters rather than remaining static. A high-power microwave weapon, such as the Epirus Leonidas, generates pulsed electromagnetic energy to disrupt electronic circuits within drones, causing failure of navigation, communication, or propulsion systems.

The effect is achieved through induced electrical surges and localized heating, leading to permanent damage to onboard electronics. This method allows simultaneous engagement of multiple drones within the beam’s effective area, which is a key requirement for countering swarm attacks where targets arrive in close proximity. The absence of physical interceptors removes constraints related to ammunition stockpiles and reload cycles, enabling repeated engagements without depletion. Compared to laser-based systems, which typically engage one target at a time, the microwave approach provides wider area coverage, though it requires sufficient onboard power generation and thermal management to sustain repeated pulses.

Self-driving capacity is provided by the Kodiak AI Driver software, which uses a combination of sensors, including radar, cameras, and other perception systems, to enable navigation across highways, urban environments, and off-road terrain. The system processes environmental data in real time to maintain route planning and obstacle avoidance, allowing the converted vehicle to operate without direct human control. This capability, which is already tested on 18-wheelers such as the Kenworth T680, enables the Leonidas AGV's dynamic repositioning in response to changing threat vectors, such as shifting drone approach paths or multiple simultaneous incursions. Teleoperation remains available as a fallback mode, allowing human intervention in constrained scenarios.

The ability to operate without a driver reduces risk to personnel and allows deployment in areas where continuous human presence would be impractical or unsafe. The intended operational use of the Leonidas AGV includes defense of fixed and semi-fixed assets such as military bases, airfields, ports, and critical infrastructure, as well as support to homeland defense missions under organizations such as Joint Interagency Task Force 401. The system is designed to move rapidly to preplanned interception points or maintain patrols along defined perimeters, ensuring coverage against single drones, coordinated swarms, and fiber-optic controlled systems that are less affected by traditional jamming.

Therefore, the Leonidas AGV is positioned as a close-in defensive layer within a broader counter-UAS architecture, complementing longer-range systems and addressing gaps in coverage where drones may penetrate outer defenses. Furthermore, the ability to deploy multiple vehicles allows expansion of coverage areas and redundancy in defensive layouts. From a development perspective, the Leonidas AGV leverages a combination of commercial and military technologies already present to reduce integration timelines, as the prototype was assembled within a few months.

The use of a widely used commercial truck, such as the Ford F-series, avoids the need for a dedicated military vehicle design, enabling faster iteration and potential scalability across different configurations. The modular structure of the Leonidas microwave system allows adaptation to different vehicles, while the autonomy system from Kodiak AI is already designed to be vehicle-agnostic. This approach supports incremental upgrades and integration with other systems, while maintaining a focus on cost efficiency relative to the threats being addressed. The objective is to provide a counter-drone capability that can be fielded in greater numbers without the cost burden associated with traditional interceptor-based systems.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.