General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) is gearing up to unveil three new capabilities at next week’s Association of the United States Army (AUSA) conference. These include counter-UAS technology, loitering munitions integration, and a lower signature command post solution.
Aligning with Army Transformation Initiative
According to company executives, these product launches are designed to align with the Army Transformation Initiative (ATI), even though they don’t fulfill specific Army requirements. „The capabilities that we’ll show at AUSA are complementary to the ATI efforts and have potential landing spots in Transformation in Contact units,” stated Geoff Norman, director of US strategy and growth at GDLS.
TRX Leonidas: Drone-Killing Power
GDLS has partnered with Epirus to develop the TRX Leonidas, a counter-UAS solution that integrates Epirus’ Leonidas high-power microwave (HPM) platform onto GDLS’ Tracked Robot 10-ton (TRX) unmanned ground vehicle. According to Scott Taylor, director of US business development at GDLS, this platform is designed to neutralize drone swarms.
During a demonstration at Camp Atterbury in late August, Epirus’ HPM technology reportedly downed dozens of drones while mounted on a trailer in front of the US Army and allied representatives. „They were able to do six different vignettes that involved this high powered microwave on a trailer, in that case, that knocked down a 49-drone swarm in a single pulse,” Taylor said.
Epirus CEO Andy Lowery highlighted the collaborative effort, stating, „The marriage of neo-primes and primes is how the U.S. defense industrial base can best ensure victory as the battlefield continues to rapidly evolve.”
The TRX was originally developed for the Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) competition. While that competition has been revamped, GDLS is leveraging the TRX platform to address other capability gaps within the Army.
PERCH: Switchblade-Equipped Abrams Tank
GDLS will also showcase its Precision Effects & Reconnaissance, Canister-Housed (PERCH) technology, developed in partnership with AeroVironment. This modular kit mounts AeroVironment’s SB300 and SB600 switchblade munitions on top of the M1A2 Abrams tank (SEPv3 version), providing extended reconnaissance and lethality capabilities at the company level or below, according to Mark Hu, manager of US business development at GDLS.
PERCH allows an armored unit to deploy loitering munitions far forward on the battlefield while remaining in a concealed position.
NEXUS: Stealthy Command and Control
GDLS will present its Next-Generation Command and Control (NGC2)-ready Expeditionary X-domain Undetectable Stryker (NEXUS) vehicle. This is an updated version of the Stryker Mission Command on the Move (MCOTO) vehicle revealed at last year’s AUSA. The NEXUS is designed to provide a mobile command post solution with a lower electromagnetic signature, making it more difficult to detect.
The NEXUS utilizes core technology from the Stryker A1 while reducing its signature and improving battery life, although it does not include the hybrid-electric capabilities of its predecessor to save costs, Taylor said. GDLS will be testing the NEXUS at the next Project Convergence exercise, contributing to the development of NGC2 capabilities.
