DefenseNews
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army will wrap up developmental testing of its Interim Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (IM-SHORAD) system by June, paving the way for operational testing in the fall ahead of fielding, according to Col. Chuck Worshim, program manager for cruise missile defense systems with the Army’s Program Executive Office Missiles and Space.
The Army selected a Stryker combat vehicle-based system that included a mission equipment package designed by Leonardo DRS. That mission equipment package includes Raytheon’s Stinger vehicle missile launcher.
The Army has been racing to bring an interim SHORAD capability to fruition since the service identified a capability gap in the European theater in 2016. The service received a directed requirement to build an IM-SHORAD system in February 2018.
The service went through a selection process that included a shoot-off at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, to determine the best collection of vendors to build nine prototypes.
The developmental testing includes just five prototypes, Worshim told Defense News in a recent interview. The vehicles are spread out across different installations to undergo a variety of tests and safety certification procedures.
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