As announced by Army Recognition on October 2, General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) was awarded a $1.219 billion contract to produce, test and deliver Interim Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (IM-SHORAD) systems to the U.S. Army. The Army’s initial order on the contract calls for 28 Stryker IM-SHORAD vehicles for $230 million.
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Stryker IM-SHORAD (Picture source: GDLS)
Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of September, 30, 2025. GD Land Systems has production locations in Tallahassee, Florida; Scranton, Pennsylvania; London, Ontario; Lima, Ohio; and Anniston, Alabama.
“General Dynamics and our teammates Leonardo DRS and Raytheon are pleased to be able to partner with the Army to bring this powerful capability to U.S. Soldiers,” said Don Kotchman, Vice President and General Manager of GD Land Systems. “This dedicated SHORAD capability adds a new operational dimension to the Stryker fleet in all of the Army’s maneuver formations.”
Stryker continues to be a highly sought platform beyond the Stryker Brigade Combat Team formations.
The goal of the IM-SHORAD (Initial Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense) program is to provide tactical ground units with improved air defense capabilities against emerging threats. In order to provide a next-generation protection capability to forward-deployed units, the U.S. Army’s IM-SHORAD solution will feature an integrated suite of mission systems including radar, electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sighting system, electronic warfare package as well as non-lethal and lethal effects including Hellfire rockets; Stinger missiles; and a 30 mm M230LF cannon.
The IM-SHORAD mounted on a Stryker A1 8x8 armored vehicle will provide 360 degrees of air-defense protection through a mix of guns, missiles, rockets, and onboard sensors. The U.S. Army has decided to use the Stryker 8x8 wheeled armored to develop a new short-range air defense system fitted with direct-fire weapons and missiles. The Stryker platform was chosen because it has better protection and in regards to size, weight and power considerations, especially for the possibility of integrating a directed energy weapon in the future.
The Stryker A1 IM-SHORAD unveiled by General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) is fitted with a turret armed with Longbow Hellfire and Stinger missiles launchers. The AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire is the latest Hellfire derivate featuring a millimeter-wave guidance system and fire-and-forget capability. The Longbow Hellfire was designed to be launched from the radar-equipped AH-64D Longbow Apache attack helicopter increasing its survivability thanks to its fire-and-forget capability. The Stinger is a surface-to-air missile. It has an outward targeting range of up to 4,800 m (15,700 feet) and can engage low altitude enemy threats at up to 3,800 m (12,500 feet).
The secondary armament includes an XM914 30 mm automatic cannon and a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun. With all these weapons, the vehicle is able to destroy unmanned aerial systems as well as fixed-wing and rotary-wing threats.
