M-SHORAD to include above-armour sights
US Army Stryker A1 vehicle with M-SHORAD equipment installed. (Photo: US Army/Cpt Jordan Allen)
L3Harris Technologies announced on 21 July that it has received a contract from Moog to deliver WESCAM MX-GCS sighting systems for Increment 1 of the US Army Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) programme.
Deliveries to Moog will begin in 2021. The value of the deal was undisclosed.
L3Harris will provide a total of 33 fully digital above-armour sighting systems, each of which will be integrated onto the Moog Reconfigurable Integrated-weapons Platform (RIwP) turret.
General Dynamics Land Systems is the prime contractor for M-SHORAD. The programme is designed to defeat mortars, rockets, short-range missiles and aerial targets such as UAVs and helicopters.
MX-GCS comprises a fully stabilised two-axis sensor gimbal that is capable of traversing 360 degrees and elevating through an arc of -71 to +74 degrees. Housed within this gimbal are an HD CMOS camera, a 3-5μm staring array thermal imager and a Class I eye-safe laser rangefinder.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, the laser rangefinder operates on a wavelength of 1.54μm at 1Hz with a maximum effective range of 10km.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
Uncrewed ground vehicles put to the test as NATO eyes autonomous shift
The European Land Robot Trials are influenced by NATO researchers seeking to create uncrewed ground vehicle standards for allied Western forces working in multinational task forces.
-
UK Defence Investment Plan: What does it mean for the British Army?
The UK’s Defence Investment Plan splurges big for future air and naval programmes, including new hybrid ships, but there are fewer big-ticket items for British Army vehicles. Shephard’s Damian Kemp looks at the much delayed plan.
-
DroneShield signs agreements and US contract in the face of surging demand
DroneShield has been at the forefront of CUAS capability despite being founded only 12 years ago. The company’s early move into the counter-drone arena has put it on the crest of the rapidly expanding technology field.