U.S. Army Conducts SGT STOUT Live-Fire Training in Germany to Strengthen Counter-Drone Readiness.

U.S. Army air defense crews conducted live-fire gunnery with SGT STOUT Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense vehicles in Germany to improve weapons handling and crew coordination. The training strengthens the ability of U.S. formations in Europe to keep mobile short-range air defense close to maneuver units exposed to drones and other low-altitude threats.

Soldiers from A Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment operated the Stryker-based SGT STOUT during gunnery training at Grafenwoehr Training Area in Bavaria. The activity focused on preparing 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade crews to employ the system alongside ground formations, using its 30 mm cannon, Stinger missiles, and onboard sensors to support mobile air defense missions in Europe.

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A U.S. Army SGT STOUT returns from a firing position during live-fire gunnery at Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany on September 29, 2026. (Picture source: US DoD)

Images published by the U.S. Department of War on October 2 show several SGT STOUT vehicles maneuvering during the training as well as crews conducting weapon-clearing procedures. According to information provided by the U.S. Army, the event was intended to improve weapons proficiency and coordination among SGT STOUT crews during live-fire training. The images do not specify the exact type of targets engaged. The activity comes as the 5-4 ADA regularly employs the system in mobile air defense and counter-drone missions during exercises conducted in Europe.

The training follows the unit’s participation in Saber Junction 26, during which the same battalion integrated SGT STOUT vehicles with the 173rd Mobile Brigade Combat Team Airborne at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels. During the exercise, held from August 15 to September 13, air defense units protected artillery positions against simulated drones and other aerial threats used for reconnaissance and strike targeting. The U.S. Army notably paired SGT STOUT teams with artillery units operating M119A3 howitzers to provide close protection while the guns occupied firing positions.

Built on a Stryker A1 chassis, the SGT STOUT combines the mobility of a wheeled armored vehicle with a short-range air defense architecture intended to accompany maneuver units. Its Reconfigurable Integrated-weapons Platform turret includes an XM914 30 mm cannon, a coaxial 7.62 mm M240 machine gun, and a Stinger Vehicle Universal Launcher capable of carrying four FIM-92 Stinger missiles. The vehicle also carries electro-optical and infrared sensors along with four Multi-Mission Hemispheric Radars positioned around the turret to provide 360-degree surveillance and detect aerial threats near the formation.

This combination of sensors and effectors allows the crew to select a response according to the type of threat detected. U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery personnel have indicated that the MHR radars can monitor local airspace out to approximately 10 km under suitable conditions. Connected to the Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control system, they can pass a track to the crew and cue the weapon system toward the threat. This architecture complements longer-range radars such as Sentinel, whose coverage can be reduced by terrain, urban areas or other obstacles masking very-low-altitude flight paths.

The SGT STOUT’s counter-drone capability continued to evolve in 2026. Leonardo DRS announced on August 11 that an in-service system had defeated Group 1 and Group 2 drones during a U.S. government test campaign. According to the company, the capability was introduced through the system’s modular architecture without requiring replacement of the vehicle. Using the XM914 cannon against certain small aerial targets also provides an alternative to Stinger missiles, which remain better suited to threats requiring greater engagement range or terminal effect. This mix allows crews to preserve missile stocks when a threat can be addressed with 30 mm ammunition.

For maneuver units, the SGT STOUT is intended less as a fixed-site defense system than as an air defense element able to remain with the formations it protects. An artillery battery, command post or logistics element can become vulnerable once it remains in one location long enough to be detected by a reconnaissance drone. A nearby SGT STOUT can provide its own radar coverage, track low-altitude targets and engage them with either the cannon or available missiles. The live-fire training at Grafenwoehr therefore complements the employment observed during Saber Junction, where the system was directly integrated with ground formations rather than positioned as a separate air defense asset.

The training takes place as NATO armies reinvest in short-range air defense after decades of reduced capacity in this field. The war in Ukraine has shown how reconnaissance drones, first-person-view systems and loitering munitions can detect and strike artillery, logistics assets and command posts well beyond the immediate line of contact. For U.S. forces stationed in Europe, regular SGT STOUT crew training supports the return of mobile air defense directly alongside ground brigades. The Grafenwoehr gunnery reflects this shift at crew level, with personnel training to detect, track, and engage aerial threats while remaining able to move at the pace of the formations they protect.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests include security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.