The Army is seeking industry’s input on potential solutions for the fourth increment of its Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense (M- SHORAD) effort, detailing an interest in solutions that can be integrated on Joint Light Tactical Vehicles and ground robots to support dismounted maneuvers.
“Candidate solutions to deliver M-SHORAD Increment 4 capability to dismounted maneuver, joint forcible entry (JFE) and light mounted maneuver forces must be supported by current demonstrated company experience,” the Army wrote in a new Request for Information notice published on May 8.
The Inc. 4 effort would follow the initial M-SHORAD program, which integrates a mission equipment package onto Strykers designed to take down unmanned aircraft systems, rotary-wing and fixed-wing threats, as well as cruise missiles.
Leonardo DRS supplies the payload suite for M-SHORAD Inc. 1, which includes the Moog [MOG.A] Reconfigurable Integrated-weapons Platform (RIwP) turret, the XM914 30mm cannon and M240 machine gun, Stinger and Hellfire missiles and Rada USA’s Multi-Mission Hemispheric Radar.
The Army intends for the future M-SHORAD Inc. 4 to “cost less” than Inc. 1, according to the RFI.
Along with supporting dismounted maneuver, the Army said M-SHORAD Inc. 4 would likely need to be C-130 transportable, air droppable and sling load capable for JFE operations and also have capability to assist light mounted maneuver operations, with ability to defeat Groups 1-3 UAS and rotary wing and fixed wing aircraft.
The Army said it “prefers near to mid-term solutions that can evolve into far term solutions,” detailing a broad goal to have capabilities that can be delivered between FY ‘27/28 to FY ‘30-’32.
For “priority” performance characteristics, the Army said it’s seeking solutions for M-SHORAD Inc. 4 that can easily integrate with command and control platforms, are modular to allow for reconfigurability and can be integrated on JLTVS and robotic platforms, to include the Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport ground robot.
Additionally, the Army noted it’s interested in the ability to integrate multiple effectors onto a single platform or paired between manned and unmanned systems, to include Stinger and the future Next Generation Short Range Interceptor (NGSRI), Coyote interceptors, Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems, electronic warfare capabilities and active and passive sensors.
The Army also added it’s interested in artificial intelligence, machine learning and automated defense management aids for M-SHORAD Inc. 4.
The second increment for M-SHORAD is the DE M-SHORAD effort, with RTX [RTX] providing a 50-kilowatt laser and beam director that Kord Technologies integrates on Stryker vehicles.
The Army’s third increment for M-SHORAD is the NGSRI program, with Lockheed Martin [LMT] and RTX working on the Stinger missile replacement effort (Defense Daily, March 28 2023).