Northrop Grumman announces M-SHORAD award

Northrop Grumman has been awarded a contract for the US Army’s Maneuver Short Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) directed energy prototyping initiative, the company announced on 2 August.

The initiative includes integrating a directed energy weapon system on a Stryker vehicle as a pathfinding effort toward the US Army M-SHORAD objective to provide more comprehensive protection for frontline combat units.

The company will build and integrate a suite of advanced sensors; target acquisition and tracking; a 50kW class laser system; and battle-tested C2 on a Stryker combat vehicle. The effort will culminate in a competitive performance checkout leading into a range demonstration that informs M-SHORAD requirements.

The army’s future M-SHORAD protection for forward-deployed soldiers includes laser weapon systems as an effective complement to kinetic capabilities in countering rockets, artillery and mortars, UAS, and other aerial threats.

The work is part of the progression of an army technology maturation initiative known as the Multi-Mission High Energy Laser.