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2020-11-12

GDLS Wins U.S. Army Deal for Stryker IM-SHORAD Vehicles

General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS), a business unit of General Dynamics, was recently awarded a US$1.219 billion contract to produce, test and deliver Interim Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (IM-SHORAD) systems to the U.S. Army. The initial order calls for 28 Stryker IM-SHORAD vehicles for US$230 million.

Don Kotchman, Vice President and General Manager of GD Land Systems, said: “This dedicated SHORAD capability adds a new operational dimension to the Stryker fleet in all of the Army’s manoeuvre formations.”

The IM-SHORAD is designed to counter threats from Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and a multitude of other rotary and fixed wing aircraft, and provides a common Army platform that is cost-effective, highly mobile, survivable, sustainable, and transportable. IM-SHORAD will also offer protection against ballistic missile threats such as Patriot and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system. Stryker continues to be a highly sought platform beyond the Stryker Brigade Combat Team formations.

Winning Edge
Warfighters face a myriad of dangerous threats both in the ground and in air. They require precision direct fire weapons and missiles to defeat these current and emerging threats. With Leonardo DRS’ mission equipment package, as part of the IM-SHORAD capability, warfighters possess the ability to manoeuvre at the tactical level with a complete detect, identify, track and defeat capability which defeats UAS, rotary-wing and fixed-wing threats.

IM-SHORAD is an Air Defense Artillery capability, which moves and manoeuvres in direct support of Brigade Combat Teams (BCT) to destroy, neutralise or deter low altitude aerial threats, including Group 3 UAS, rotary wing and fixed wing aircraft.

With IM-SHORAD Mission Equipment Package (MEP) on a purpose-built Stryker, warfighters manoeuvre with tactical units to detect, identify, track and defeat air threats. The superior ground-to-air and ground-to-ground lethality creates overmatch for the warfighters on the point of the spear.

IM-SHORAD moves and manoeuvres with BCTs with necessary mobility, survivability and lethality to fight at the tactical level. It detects, identifies and tracks air threats with on-board sensors providing 360-degree aerial surveillance and destroys or defeats ground and air threats using multiple kinetic effectors (direct fire and missiles).

Increased Survivability
IM-SHORAD is installed on General Dynamics’ Stryker wheeled armoured vehicle that is outfitted with a 450hp Caterpillar C9 engine and a 60,000lb suspension system. The double-V hull configuration of the Stryker combat vehicle offers high survivability against mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The Stryker vehicle is also fitted with 910-amp alternator to provide electrical power and support in-vehicle network. It has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 63,000lb. The vehicle has eight tires offering mobility and increased speed on all-terrain conditions.

Integrated-weapons Platform
The IM-SHORAD air defence system is equipped with Reconfigurable Integrated-weapons Platform (RIwP) turret system, which provides increased survivability against aerial threats.

The turret is armed with kinetic and non-kinetic weapons to detect, identify, track, and destroy emerging threats.

RIwP allows for different weapon configurations, including a pair of AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire air-to-surface missiles capable of defeating air and ground targets and four of Raytheon’s Stinger man-portable air defence systems for engaging light armoured air targets within a range of 4,800m.

The Hellfire missile, which incorporates a millimetre-wave guidance system and fire-and-forget system, offers superior firepower.

The secondary armament of the IM-SHORAD air defence system includes XM914 (30mm) remote weapon station (RWS) and M240 (7.62mm) machine gun.

IM-SHORAD Mission Equipment Package Integrates with existing Army networks and is interoperable with Sentinel radar. It can defeat smaller air threats (Group 1 and 2 UAS) at closer ranges with direct fire (as required) and supports growth to directed energy when available.

The Stryker vehicle is equipped with identification friend or foe (IFF) antenna, as well as Rada’s multi-mission hemispheric radar (MHR) to provide tactical air surveillance.

The MHR features an active electronically scanned array (AESA) antenna, pulse-doppler and software-defined radars used for detecting, locating, tracking both aerial, and surface targets. The IM-SHORAD capability also incorporates an electronic warfare (EW) package to provide improved situational awareness.

Reference Text/Photo:www.gd.com

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