The United States Army:

Some Soldiers from out of town are on White Sands Missile Range putting a new air defense system through its paces and preparing it to be delivered for use.

Soldiers from the 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment out of Ansbach, Germany, are on WSMR conduction training and operational testing of the Army’s Initial Maneuver Short Range Air Defense system.

The IM-SHORAD system is one of the Army’s solutions to replace the aging Avenger short range air defense system. While the Avenger worked well in its day as a Cold War platform for the protection of Army units from close in air threats, the system is showing its age, being less survivable than other modern air defense systems, and requiring a long set up time to get operational. The IM-SHORAD is built to bring a modernized package of capabilities to the table and improve in the areas where the Avenger struggles. Mounted on a Stryker armored vehicle, IM-SHORAD can keep up with the units they are protecting, with better armor and survivability than what a HUMVEE platform provides. The system has its own radar, and an array of weapons that can be effective against air threats without a long setup process…

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