American Rheinmetall has conducted a live demonstration of its counter-unmanned aerial system (counter-UAS) and ultra-short-range air defence (U-SHORAD) capability at the Big Sandy Range, showcasing a mobile force-protection solution designed for US forces. The event highlighted a remotely operated weapon station configured as a platform-agnostic and autonomous last-line defensive system intended to counter small unmanned aerial threats and protect manoeuvre forces and critical assets. The demonstration featured the system integrated onto the M1301 Infantry Squad Vehicle platform supplied by GM Defense. During the live-fire trials, the system engaged and defeated both fixed-wing and rotary-wing small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) targets, validating the integration of the counter-UAS solution with the ISV-C configuration. The trials also assessed the system’s cost-per-engagement metrics, with the company reporting competitive cost-per-kill performance compared with other short-range air-defence options.
The ISV platform used during the demonstration is a light, high-mobility vehicle selected by the United States Army in 2020 to support infantry brigade combat teams (IBCTs). Based on the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 commercial platform, the vehicle is designed to transport a nine-soldier infantry squad and its equipment while remaining compatible with airborne and air-assault operations. The vehicle features a doorless body-on-frame design with steel and aluminium body panels and seating arranged in a 2/3/2/2 configuration within a roll-over protection structure. In addition to personnel, the ISV can carry rucksacks and sustainment equipment such as ammunition and water. The platform is air-transportable, capable of sling-load operations beneath a Sikorsky UH‑60 Black Hawk helicopter and internal transport aboard a Boeing CH‑47 Chinook.
Propulsion is provided by a Duramax 2.8-litre turbocharged direct-injection diesel engine coupled to a Hydra-Matic six-speed automatic transmission and a two-speed transfer case. The vehicle incorporates power-assisted anti-lock braking with disc brakes on all four wheels and run-flat inserts. Its 24-V electrical system includes a standard NATO slave-cable connector, while lighting systems support both combat illumination and blackout driving modes for night convoy operations. The company stated that the successful demonstration advances system readiness for participation in the upcoming Concept Focused Warfighting Experimentation – Cross Domain Fires (CFWE-CDF) event scheduled to take place at Fort Sill. The experimentation campaign is intended to further evaluate the system’s operational utility against emerging aerial threats.
Headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, United States, American Rheinmetall Defense serves as the US arm of Rheinmetall, providing the company’s defence and security portfolio to the US market. Rheinmetall has long supported NATO armed forces and maintains extensive experience as a supplier to the US Department of Defense. Rheinmetall AG is a German automotive and arms manufacturer, headquartered in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The group was promoted to the DAX, Germany’s leading stock market index, in March 2023. It is the largest German and fifth-largest European arms manufacturer, and produces a variety of armored fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, in both wheeled and tracked versions, as well as warships through Blohm+Voss. It also manufactures artillery, air defense systems, anti-tank weapons and ammunition. Its name is derived from the German-language words Rhein and Metall, translating to “Rhine-metal” when combined.
