US Army Wants Drone-Killing Air Defense on Pallets by the End of 2029

The US Army wants its next short-range air defence system to come on a pallet. Under Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense Increment 4, the Army is looking for a "vehicle-agnostic" system built into a self-loading module that can be dropped onto a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, an Infantry Squad Vehicle or an uncrewed ground vehicle, according to Army briefing slides reported by The War Zone.

The target is to equip the first battalion-sized unit in the first quarter of fiscal 2030, which runs from October to December 2029, with initial operational capability in fiscal 2030.

Built for the drone war

The requirement reads like a list of lessons from Ukraine and the Middle East. The system must defeat everything from small quadcopters to Shahed-136-class one-way attack drones, singly or in swarms, and also defend against helicopters and aircraft. It needs a secondary direct-fire capability against ground targets.

It must work alone for 72 hours or semi-independently for three to seven days, fit in a C-130, be air-droppable and sling-loadable, and need no extra trailer. The Army has left the sensors and weapons open, asking for a reconfigurable mix of kinetic and non-kinetic options.

A Stryker-based Sgt Stout, the Army's current M-SHORAD Increment 1 system. File photo: U.S. Army (public domain).

Where it fits

The Army already fields Sgt Stout, a Stryker armed with missiles and a 30mm cannon, as M-SHORAD Increment 1. Increment 2 covers lasers and other directed energy, and Increment 3 a next-generation short-range interceptor and new 30mm ammunition. Increment 4 is meant to spread that protection to lighter units that do not have Strykers.

Several companies have already shown candidate designs, including L3Harris, Leidos, Leonardo DRS, Moog, SAIC and Sierra Nevada. No contract has been awarded, and the Army says its plans are subject to change.