Leonardo DRS, Inc. announced today it has received an initial contract award for 28 Initial Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (IM-SHORAD) Mission Equipment Packages (MEP) from General Dynamics Land Systems (GD) in support of the U.S. Army’s recent IM-SHORAD production award. The award, received on December 2nd 2020, is the first of a five-year contract valued at more than $600 million. This production contract award marks the successful completion of an aggressive prototype program that delivered nine prototypes and completed government testing in just two years.
Leonardo DRS will begin delivering the MEPs to General Dynamics for final integration onto purpose-built Strykers next year. The centerpiece of the MEP is Moog’s Reconfigurable Integrated-weapons Platform (RIwP®) turret with multiple kinetic effectors including the XM914 30mm cannon and M240 7.62mm machine gun, along with Stinger and Longbow HELLFIRE missiles. The MEP also includes an on-board Multi-Mission Hemispheric Radar (MHR) to provide persistent 360 degrees of aerial surveillance, identification friend or foe and other mission essential technologies.
Initial Maneuver Short Range Air Defense (IM-SHORAD) is an Air Defense Artillery capability which moves and maneuvers in direct support of Brigade Combat Teams (BCT) to destroy, neutralize or deter low altitude aerial threats, including Group 3 UAS, rotary wing and fixed wing aircraft. With Leonardo DRS’ IM-SHORAD Mission Equipment Package (MEP) on a purpose-built Stryker, Warfighters maneuver with tactical units to detect, identify, track and defeat air threats.
The Reconfigurable Integrated-weapons Platform (RIwP®) is a revolutionary remote turret, providing the Warfighter overmatch capability and increased survivability to exceed current and emerging threats across the full spectrum of conflict. In many configurations RIwP® medium caliber precision lethality, for tactical and combat platforms, provides greater firepower than most currently fielded combat systems ensuring advantages over ground and air threats. Current configurations include the option for multiple missiles, direct fire weapons and sight combinations. All direct fire weapons feature reload under armor for increased crew protection.
Multi-Mission Hemispheric Radar (MHR) is a based on a true AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) antenna the MHR can be integrated with any C4I system and other radars/sensors using its standard Ethernet interfaces, and can operate stand-alone or as part of a large-scale surveillance system. It can be mobile or positioned at stationary sites.
Leonardo DRS is a defense solutions provider, a leading technology innovator, and supplier of integrated products, services and support to military forces, the intelligence community, and defense contractors worldwide. Its Land Systems business unit is recognized leader in the design and integration of complex technologies into new and legacy systems and platforms for global military and commercial customers. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, Leonardo DRS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Leonardo S.p.A.
