U.S. Army Awards Contract for M-SHORAD Directed Energy Stryker Prototypes

- by Shaun McDougall
eight-wheeled vehicle with a mounted laser and gun

A 5-kilowatt laser sits on a Stryker armored vehicle called the Mobile Expeditionary High Energy Laser (MEHEL) during the Maneuver Fires Integrated Experiment (MFIX) at Fort Sill, April 5, 2017. Source: U.S. Army

The U.S. Army has awarded a contract for the rapid prototyping and fielding of a mobile directed energy weapon.  The prototype system will consist of 50-kilowatt lasers mounted on a platoon of four wheeled Stryker vehicles as part of the Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) mission.  M-SHORAD provides defense against airborne threats, such as unmanned aerial systems, helicopters, rockets, artillery, and mortars.

A $200 million, three-year contract was awarded to Kord Technologies, which itself awarded subcontracts to Raytheon and Northrop Grumman for laser weapon modules.  Kord is also working with General Dynamics Land Systems, which makes the Stryker vehicle.

The directed-energy Strykers are expected to be available in fiscal year 2022.

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About Shaun McDougall

As editor of International Military Markets, North America, Shaun has cultivated a deep understanding of the vast defense markets in the United States and Canada. Shaun's perspective on defense procurement and budget issues has been cited in a variety of defense periodicals, including Defense News and National Defense Magazine. Further, Shaun played an integral role in the development of Forecast International's U.S. Defense Budget Forecast product, which offers an unprecedented level of insight into the Pentagon's acquisition budget. In addition to providing original analytical content for the U.S. Defense Budget Forecast, Shaun oversees an internal defense budget forecasting process involving Forecast International's team of skilled systems analysts following release of the DoD's annual budget request. Shaun is also in charge of managing Forecast International's Weapons Inventory database.

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