The U.S. military builds a "plug-and-play" air defense system with free replacement of missiles and cannons to be deployed by the end of 2029

The picture shows General Dynamics' "Mobile Short-range Air Defense System Phase 4" vehicle-mounted solution. The truck body has a pallet-type anti-aircraft modular design and can be directly transported to other platforms. (Picture taken from @GD_LandSystems)

[Reporter Wu Zheyu/Comprehensive Report] Faced with the threat of drone swarms and low-cost attack drones, the U.S. Army is accelerating the development of a new generation of modular air defense systems. The U.S. military recently announced the latest plan for the "Mobile Short-Range Air Defense System Phase 4" (M-SHORAD Increment 4), which will adopt a pallet-type modular design and can be quickly installed on light tactical vehicles and unmanned ground vehicles. It can even be deployed independently after being unloaded, and radars, missiles and cannons can be replaced according to mission requirements. The goal is to complete the first batch of battalion-level unit equipment before the end of 2029.

The military website "The War Zone" reported that according to an industry briefing released by the U.S. Army, the Phase 4 system is mainly used to intercept small four-copter drones, long-range one-way attack drones such as Iran's "Witness-136" (Shahed-136), as well as helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, and has the ability to directly shoot ground targets, with special emphasis on responding to swarm attacks from multiple drones attacking at the same time.

The report pointed out that the previous result of the first phase was the Stout armored anti-aircraft vehicle, the second phase was the application of anti-drone microwave or laser weapons, and the third phase was the next-generation short-range interceptor.

The new system adopts a "self-loading and unloading equipment base" (SLED) design and is not restricted by specific models. It can be mounted on Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV), Infantry Squad Vehicles (ISV) and unmanned ground vehicles. It does not require additional trailers and can be unloaded and deployed in fixed positions. The US military requires that the system can operate independently for 72 hours, continue to operate for 3 to 7 days with troop support, and can be airlifted, airdropped or deployed by C-130 transport aircraft.

It is worth noting that the US military requires that Phase 4 integrate a variety of kinetic and non-kinetic countermeasures. Weapons may include 30 mm cannons, "Stinger" anti-aircraft missiles, AGM-114 "Hellfire" missiles, and 70 mm APKWS II laser-guided rockets.

At present, many military industrial companies such as L3Harris, Leidos, Leonardo DRS and Sierra Nevada Corporation have demonstrated relevant systems. The US military hopes that through an open architecture, operators can replace X-band radars with Ku-band radars, or change Coyote interceptor launchers into Stinger missile launchers, just like changing modules.

In addition, the new system will also emphasize networked operations, integrate radar, acoustic and electro-optical sensors, and cooperate with the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) being developed by the US military, allowing dispersed air defense units to share target information and select the most suitable weapons to intercept incoming threats.

The US military plans to complete the equipment of the first battalion-level unit from October to December 2029, and aims to achieve initial combat capability in the 2030 fiscal year.