The U.S. Army official website has announced on May 29, 2020, that the Interim Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense platform or IM-SHORAD will continue despite timeline adjustments due to COVID-19. The IM-SHORAD program is one of the urgent operational needs of the U.S. Army.
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The IM-SHORAD air defense weapon system is mounted on a Stryker A1 8x8 armored vehicle. (Picture source U.S. army official website)
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.
During AUSA, United States Army defense exhibition that was held in Washington D.C. in October 2019, General Dynamics Land Systems unveils the Stryker A1 IM-SHORAD (Initial Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense) vehicle.
The Stryker A1 IM-SHORAD unveiled by the American Company 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 second armament of the turret includes one XM914 30 mm automatic cannon and one 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.
