The U.S. Army wants an air defense system that soldiers can load into the bed of almost any light vehicle within minutes, or take off and set up on the ground. The Army plans to field it by the end of 2029. Details of the Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense Increment 4 (M-SHORAD Inc 4) program were shown to industry at a briefing in Huntsville, Alabama, in October.
The system will not be tied to a specific chassis. The Army is looking for palletized modules called Self-Loading Equipment Docks (SLEDs). Candidate host vehicles include the JLTV, the Infantry Squad Vehicle, and uncrewed ground vehicles, and extra trailers are not allowed. A module taken off its vehicle can also work from a fixed position and protect a forward site.
Vendors have wide latitude in choosing weapons and sensors, including missiles, cannons, machine guns, and electronic warfare systems. The main targets are drones, from small quadcopters to one-way attack drones such as the Iranian Shahed-136, including drones attacking in swarms. The system must also protect troops from helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft on attack runs and engage ground targets when needed.
The system must operate on its own for 72 hours and alongside the units it supports for three to seven days. It must fit inside a C-130 without special equipment and be air-droppable and sling-loadable under a helicopter.
The Army had earlier planned to field the system between fiscal years 2027 and 2029. Under the new schedule, the first battalion is due to receive it at the end of 2029, with Initial Operational Capability set for fiscal 2030.
The competitors include L3Harris with VAMPIRE, Sierra Nevada Corporation with BRAWLR, and MSI Defense Solutions with EAGLS, along with Leidos, Leonardo DRS, SAIC, Moog, and others. VAMPIRE and BRAWLR have reportedly seen combat in Ukraine. Nearly all contenders use relatively cheap 70mm APKWS II laser-guided rockets.
source The War Zone, 10.11.2026
