Tag Archives: DE M-SHORAD

Ground, Ground Forces

Short Range Air Defense

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The U.S. Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, known as RCCTO, announced the successful delivery of four cutting-edge Directed Energy Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense, or DE M-SHORAD, prototype systems to the 4th Battalion, 60th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (ADAR) at Fort Sill. Delivering the platoon of prototypes marks a pivotal milestone for RCCTO’s DE M-SHORAD Project Management Office, led by Colonel Steven D. Gutierrez, and represents a major landmark accomplishment for the entire team involved.

DE M-SHORAD
Soldiers of the 4th Battalion, 60th Air Defense Artillery Regiment are positioned alongside four Directed Energy Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense (DE M-SHORAD) prototype systems (4th Battalion, 60th Air Defense Artillery Regiment)

This momentous delivery coincides with the historic reactivation of the 4-60th ADAR in March of 2022 and the subsequent reactivation of its Delta Battery in June of this year. It signifies the continued smooth transition of the 4-60th ADAR from the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command to the 1st Armored Division, which took place in November 2022.

To prepare for the integration of these groundbreaking laser weapon systems, 4-60th ADAR commenced training in fall 2022. Drivers underwent rigorous training utilizing a surrogate M-SHORAD vehicle specially constructed to replicate the DE M-SHORAD prototype’s size, weight, and power. Additionally, the crews skillfully simulated the execution of the structure of an attack or «kill chain» on the Virtual Crew Trainer Operating Systems provided by the RCCTO.

In March 2023 at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, crews from 4-60th ADAR and the DE M-SHORAD prototype team came together to conduct a highly successful capability demonstration during a Live Fire Exercise. The event showcased the remarkable potential of these prototypes and left a lasting impression on participants and viewers.

«The delivery of DE M-SHORAD prototypes to the 4-60th ADAR represents a transformational milestone in the Army’s modernization campaign. It is an achievement that adds what was often thought of as a next generation capability, now», stated Colonel Gutierrez. «These high energy laser systems will be a game-changer on the contemporary battlefield, a critical component of an integrated, layered, and in-depth air missile defense for division and brigade maneuver formations».

Colonel Gutierrez continued, «I couldn’t be prouder of our team. The Directed Energy Project Office took nascent technologies and accelerated their maturation and development to put hardware in the hands of Soldiers in record time. This will prove to be a deterrent as well as an effective weapon system against relevant threat sets that requires minimal logistical support versus traditional and legacy systems».

Receiving these groundbreaking systems enables the 4-60th ADAR Delta Battery to embark on collective training with kinetic variants of the DE M-SHORAD, as they were concurrently received in June 2023. This opportunity allows for enhanced evaluation of the integration and employment of these systems within the Army’s integrated and layered air missile defense architecture, as well as their structural alignment within division formations.

Lieutenant Colonel Alex Corby, former 4-60th ADAR battalion commander, notes, «The delivery of the DE M-SHORAD prototypes marks an extraordinary advancement in our military capabilities. Today, Delta Battery etches its name in the annals of military history as the Army’s first-ever tactical Directed Energy capable unit. With cutting-edge technology at their disposal, they are pioneers, forging a path towards a more formidable and agile future for our forces».

Looking ahead, in partnership with the Army Test and Evaluation Command, the Army plans to employ these prototypes in a Soldier Touchpoint in FY24. This assessment will provide invaluable insights into the capabilities and limitations of these cutting-edge systems, aiding the Army in its ongoing quest for innovation and progress.

The RCCTO, alongside its dedicated partners and 4-60th ADAR, remains steadfast in its commitment to innovation and excellence. Together, they forge a path towards a future where cutting-edge technologies like the DE M-SHORAD prototype system pave the way for an enhanced and robust national defense.

Ground Forces

Directed Energy Interceptor

Lockheed Martin achieved first light from the Directed Energy Interceptor for Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense System (DEIMOS) system, which verifies that the laser’s optical performance parameters align with the system design parameters.

DEIMOS
Lockheed Martin Achieves First Light in Latest Laser Lab Demonstration

Lockheed Martin’s 50 kW-class DEIMOS system is a ruggedized, tactical laser weapon system that can be integrated into the Stryker combat vehicle to deliver robust directed energy capability to the U.S. Army’s challenging Maneuver-SHort Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) mission.

«The 50 kW-class laser weapon system brings another critical piece to help ensure the U.S. Army has a layered air defense capability», said Rick Cordaro, vice president, Lockheed Martin Advanced Product Solutions. «DEIMOS has been tailored from our prior laser weapon successes to affordably meet the Army’s larger modernization strategy for air and missile defense and to improve mission success with 21st Century Security solutions».

 

Why It Matters

Lockheed Martin’s DEIMOS first light demonstration is a crucial milestone along the path to helping the Army perform its DE M-SHORAD mission, which is intended to deliver a maneuverable laser system capable of negating unmanned aerial systems, rotary-wing aircraft and rockets, artillery and mortars.

First light measures the expected beam quality of the system while testing end-to-end performance of our game-changing, low-cost Spectral Beam Combination (SBC) architecture. The key benefit of the company’s SBC is that power can be scaled while retaining the excellent beam quality of the individual fiber lasers.

In 2022, Lockheed Martin demonstrated Layered Laser Defense (LLD) capability by defeating two surrogate cruise missiles at tactically relevant ranges. This LLD capability:

  • Shares many common elements with the DEIMOS system architecture, such as allowing for a single operator to engage and destroy SHORAD targets.
  • Can be seamlessly integrated into various platforms.
  • Can fit on tactical platforms such as a Stryker vehicle because it was designed with constraints in terms of Size, Weight and Power (SWaP).

 

What’s Next

Utilizing a philosophy of «build a little, test a little, learn a lot», Lockheed Martin will expand the DEIMOS test program in 2023, culminating with field integration tests in 2024. This thorough approach is designed to reduce risk, to enable soldier touchpoints and to provide proof points of compelling mission capabilities.

The Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) is leading the DE M-SHORAD prototyping effort and is expected to transition the program to the Program Executive Office (PEO) Missiles & Space in 2024.

Ground Forces

Counter-mortar capability

In four weeks of continuous live-fire exercises, an industry team led by Raytheon Intelligence & Space, a Raytheon Technologies business, and Kord, a wholly owned subsidiary of KBR, defeated multiple 60-mm mortar rounds with a 50 kW-class high energy laser integrated on a Stryker combat vehicle.

DE M-SHORAD
Raytheon Intelligence & Space and Kord team-up to defeat multiple mortars and large drones with Stryker-mounted high-energy laser

The directed energy weapon system – part of the U.S. Army’s Directed Energy Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense, or DE M-SHORAD – acquired, tracked, targeted and defeated multiple mortars and successfully accomplished multiple tests simulating real-world scenarios.

Continuing to put the DE M-SHORAD system to the test, the recent operational assessment at White Sands Missile Range also included defeating several small, medium and large drones.

«Soldiers in the field face increasingly complex threats, and our combat-proven sensors, software, and lasers are ready to give them a new level of protection», said Annabel Flores, president of Electronic Warfare Systems for Raytheon Intelligence & Space. «The Army gave us our toughest challenge yet – countering rockets, artillery and mortars – and we took an essential step on the path to providing the maneuverable, short range air defense Soldiers need».

The DE M-SHORAD effort is aimed at protecting soldiers against various aerial threats, including unmanned aircraft systems, rotary-wing aircraft, rockets, artillery and mortars. Kord serves as the primary integrator of the system on the Stryker combat vehicle, while Raytheon Intelligence & Space provides the 50 kW-class high energy laser weapon module, a specialized radar acquisition system, a beam control system and targeting sensor.

«This team once again showed that the HEL system is fully-integrated and ready to provide protection against complex threats», said Byron Bright, President of KBR Government Solutions. «With an effectively infinite magazine and near-zero cost per shot, HEL is now the proven answer to asymmetric threats like drones and mortars».

The joint industry team, which includes Rocky Research for power and thermal management, General Dynamics Land Systems for the Stryker platform, and Applied Technology Associates for additional sensors, is preparing to deliver four DE M-SHORAD units to Army Brigade Combat Teams in 2022.

RI&S’ high energy laser weapon systems, built in McKinney, Texas, works on land, in the air and at sea, providing 360-degree coverage that can protect bases, airports, stadiums and other high-value military or civilian assets. Open architecture, scalable power, and ruggedized design adapts to the demands of the mission. HEL weapons can be used as standalone systems or rapidly installed on a variety of platforms. Major suppliers for the system are based in Huntsville, Alabama; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Portland, Oregon; East Granby, Connecticut; and Los Angeles, California.

Ground Forces

50kW-class laser

Raytheon Intelligence & Space (RI&S), a Raytheon Technologies business, has been awarded a $123 million contract to build and deliver three additional combat-capable 50kW-class high-energy laser weapon systems as part of the U.S. Army’s Directed Energy Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense, or DE M-SHORAD, program. RI&S is a subcontractor in an Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreement between the Army and Kord, a wholly owned subsidiary of KBR based in Huntsville, Alabama. The systems will be mounted on Stryker combat vehicles that the Army plans to deploy for field operations in 2022.

DE M-SHORAD
Raytheon Intelligence & Space to build mobile 50kW-class laser for U.S. Army

«The U.S. Army is leading the charge to give soldiers the first-ever operational capability of a mobile high-energy laser weapon», said Annabel Flores, vice president for Electronic Warfare Systems at RI&S. «Two years ago, the Army set a goal to deliver a powerful, maneuverable and proven laser system that was ready for operators to use in the field right away, and our team demonstrated that capability».

The award follows a U.S. Army DE M-SHORAD Combat Shoot-Off at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, this summer. RI&S’ solution was employed in a series of realistic scenarios designed to evaluate the performance of the system, establish threshold requirements for the laser and demonstrate its technical maturity and readiness. At the shoot-off, soldiers operated the system and effectively tracked, identified and engaged a variety of targets.

«In just a few days, soldiers went from training to operating the system and engaging targets to providing valuable feedback to our team that will help improve future systems», added Flores.

DE M-SHORAD will offer protection to maneuvering ground forces and equipment from threats such as Unmanned Aircraft Systems, or UAS, rotary-wing aircraft, and rockets, artillery and mortars.

RI&S’ weapons system for DE M-SHORAD combines a 50kW-class High-Energy Laser, a beam director, an Electro-Optical and InfraRed (EO/IR) target acquisition and tracking system, and a Ku720 multi-mission radar. This gives soldiers an effective counter-UAS solution as well as providing counterintelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.

Work for DE M-SHORAD will be performed in McKinney, Texas.

Defensive laser weapon systems can complement kinetic weapons during field missions by providing a low cost per kill, speed-of-light delivery and a deep magazine limited only by vehicle fuel.

Previously, RI&S also delivered three high-energy laser systems to the U.S. Air Force. The systems have accrued more than 9,000 hours during operator training and operational assessment. Raytheon Technologies’ counter-UAS solutions include sensors, and kinetic and non-kinetic effectors that, when networked into a command-and-control system, provide layers of air defense and force protection designed to meet a variety of threats.

Ground Forces

Directed Energy System

The Army recently conducted a successful evaluation of a new directed-energy capability, moving the service one step closer to fielding a platoon of four laser-equipped Stryker combat vehicle prototypes next fiscal year, program leads said Wednesday.

DE M-SHORAD
The Army recently conducted a successful evaluation of a new Directed Energy-Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense system, or DE M-SHORAD, aboard a Stryker combat vehicle, moving the service one step closer to fielding a platoon of four laser-equipped Stryker prototypes next fiscal year (Jim Kendall)

The Directed Energy Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense system, or DE M-SHORAD, is a 50-kW-class laser designed to protect divisions and brigade combat teams against unmanned aircraft systems, rotary and fixed-wing threats, rockets, artillery, and mortars, said Marcia Holmes, the deputy director of hypersonics, directed energy, space and rapid acquisition.

«Our goal is to deliver prototypes that Soldiers can use as the mission requires and that the Army can leverage as a baseline for a program of record», Holmes said. «A Soldier-centered design is a key part to reduce risk and to ensure an operationally effective weapon system».

A strong partnership between the Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office and science and technology industry leaders led to the development and implementation of the first prototype in 24 months, Holmes said.

The addition of the DE M-SHORAD and other directed-energy capabilities like the Indirect Fire Protection Capability-High Energy Laser, or IFPC-HEL, and IFPC-High Power Microwave are all designed to complement the Army’s kinetic air defense capabilities, said Craig Robin, deputy director of the RCCTO’s directed energy project office.

The unique design of the DE M-SHORAD leverages the Stryker’s gas-powered engine to energize its batteries, cooling system, and laser. The self-contained system has enough electricity to address multiple threats at a time before needing a period to recharge, he said.

«There are places where directed energy can provide a significant advantage», he added. «All the bullets are built into the system, so the logistics associated with moving a platform and supplying it requires just gas and parts».

IFPC-HEL
The prototype proved its abilities during a combat shoot-off in July 2021 at Fort Sill, Okla (Jim Kendall)

Robin added that directed-energy systems are also more cost-effective from a life cycle perspective, making them a strategic tool to take out low-cost threats like an UAS to save the Army’s kinetic capabilities.

The Army plans to demonstrate the DE M-SHORAD capabilities during Project Convergence 21 (PC 21), where it will participate in a joint and coalition exercise later this year, said Col. Scott McLeod, the program’s manager.

«PC 21 will be a big opportunity for us to show how we can integrate with our systems and demonstrate the capability against other threats», McLeod said.

In July, the prototype proved its abilities during a combat shoot-off at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. During the event, Soldiers faced several realistic scenarios intended to refine future DE M-SHORAD characteristics, as program leads collected extensive data and user feedback to refine the system, McLeod said.

In addition to Project Convergence 21, the DE M-SHORAD development team will make minor adjustments to improve the device’s performance in the coming months, followed by several internal system verifications, he added.

«We are delivering a brand new capability – it is not a modification or an upgrade. It is unlike any other system the Army has fielded to date», McLeod said. «This event was a major step in the prototyping process and an informative waypoint as we move forward with building and delivering a prototype platoon in fiscal year 2022».

Stryker
Army to field laser-equipped Stryker prototypes in fiscal year 2022 (Jim Kendall)